ThirtyOne Bottles
by seeker68
Summary: Sequel to 'Learning to Live Again'. Read itt first so the original characters/scenes in this story make sense. Set on January 4, 2002. On their first year of marriage Harry and Ginny receive the customary wizarding gift from friends and family.
1. Chapter 1 Bottles 4, 9, 26

**Thirty-One Bottles**

Short Story sequel to 'Learning to Live Again', you won't _have_ to read that first as most of the characters in this are JKR's and we're familiar with them, but if you don't some of the original characters won't make sense in this story. Set on January fourth of two thousand and two, Harry and Ginny's one year anniversary (as set in LTLA). After one full year of marriage Harry and Ginny receive the customary gifts from their friends and family.

And a Disclaimer - as we all know, the Harry Potter world belongs to J.. It's nice of her to let us play in her world so plase remember that all the characters, places and plots developed by her are hers. Any original characters, places or plotlines belong to this author, seeker68.

And last, the site isn't letting me format this the way I want, I wanted to add an additional line between memories and present day sections to make it easier to read, but it keeps removing the additional line.

**Bottles Four, Nine and Twenty-six**

The moonlight streaming through the frosty panes of glass cast an iridescent glow on the carpet, sofa and other furniture in the carriage house loft. The same wash of light bathed the room's lone occupants, highlighting the fine texture of their dress robes. The young couple didn't normally wear dress robes as a matter of practice, but tonight was special. Special because for the first time in months the entire, extended Weasley family had gathered around Molly's table, feasting on the lavish dinner so lovingly prepared by the Weasley matriarch. The dinner in and of itself was lovely, but the true reason for the gathering was a celebration of love.

January fourth was, to ninety-nine percent of the world an inauspicious day, but not for the Weasley clan numbering over twenty, or the Potter family, numbering just two. While the dinner and ensuing party was held at the Weasley family home, The Burrow, it was the Potter family that was being celebrated. The Potter family had been in existence for exactly one year, as of today, January fourth, two thousand-two. Harry and Ginny's first anniversary was an event to be cherished. She was the only girl, of course, and he was the seventh son, the son not born to Molly and Arthur Weasley but treated as though he were. Of course their anniversary would be reason to bring the family together.

After finishing dinner and returning Ron to his natural state, it seemed no matter the occasion George always tested some new product on an unsuspecting family member, the family retired to the sitting room to present Harry with the customary wizarding gift for a first anniversary. That gift now rested on the kitchen counter, basking in the moonlight, waiting to be opened.

Harry swayed slowly to the soft music flowing from the CD player; in one hand was a champagne flute almost three quarters full, the other lay gently against his wife's waist, and snuggled against his muscular chest, was Ginny. She slipped a hand from around his waist and pulled the glass towards her lips for a sip. When she was finished Harry lifted their common glass to his own lips for a quick taste. He tilted his head down and the couple shared a champagne tinted kiss.

"Mmmm," Ginny hummed as the kiss ended.

"Mmmm hmmm," Harry murmured back as he initiated a second kiss.

Ginny's smile broke the soft kiss. "A year, we've been married a year."

"Yup, and I managed to get through another year without meeting your batty friends."

"You do have great survival instincts," Ginny laughed. Harry tilted the glass towards her and she took another sip of champagne. "Are you ready?"

"Sure, who should we do first?" Harry answered as he led his wife towards the kitchen counter, where a small wood box rested in close proximity to a carved stone basin about the size of a large serving bowling. The box was not much bigger than a loaf of bread; the rich walnut was carved intricately with ivy vines, leaves and grapes. The finish was glossy, hand rubbed lacquer, and small silver accents on each corner protected the edges of the delicate carvings.

Ginny set down the almost empty champagne flute and pressed the catch on the face of the box. The lid lifted on hidden springs, revealing the rich red velvet interior. Nestled safely in the padded box a group of thirty-one small glass bottles stood, each bottle keeping its swirling silver contents secure.

"I think, of all the wizarding traditions, this is one of my favorites," Ginny said softly. "It…it makes you remember your friends, and everyone who loves you."

"So these memories are just from anyone who knew us?"

"No, the tradition is that everyone who attended our wedding has an opportunity to give a memory of one of us, or of us as a couple. The memories are gathered at the reception and then we get our first look at them on our first anniversary; tonight for us," Ginny explained.

"So these should be romantic memories then?" Harry wondered aloud.

"For the most part they will be, but some might be funny or thoughtful." Ginny fished through the bottles looking them over carefully. "I heard tell of a wizard that married into a wealthy family, but the bride's parents didn't necessarily care for him. They all gave him memories of her previous suitors."

"Nooo," Harry mumbled.

"I'm not sure it's true. It sounds to me like those muggle stories we learned about, the urban legends, where the groom tapes the nudie pictures of the bride under the chairs after she cheats on him." Ginny shrugged, checking the number of another bottle. "But aren't all stories like that based on some part of the truth?"

"Maybe…Is this your way of telling me that I should expect the worst?" Harry asked hesitantly, now studying the glass vials very seriously.

"Chicken." Ginny smirked. "How about bottles four, nine and twenty-six?"

"Huh? Four, nine…well how are we supposed to know whose they are?" Harry questioned incredulously.

"We don't, that's part of the fun. We see the memory and try to figure out whose it is." Ginny set the three small bottles on the counter.

**Bottle Four**

Carefully Ginny pulled the stopper on bottle four and poured its contents into Harry's small pensieve. The memory swirled and shimmered before settling calmly. Harry took Ginny's hand in his and leaned into the carved stone bowl.

Harry and Ginny fell into the memory, landing on a hard stone floor with a thud. The memory was still forming from the white mist surrounding them.

"Oww, you'd think a memory would be softer than that," Ginny complained, standing up and rubbing her sore bum.

"You'd think…" Harry mumbled, looking around. "I think we're in Hogwarts."

_The memory cleared and the cut stone walls of the castle shimmered into existence. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall ambled down the darkened corridor conversing about a new transfiguration textbook. The conversation continued as the professors turned the corner._

"I think this is the fourth floor, near the transfiguration classrooms," Ginny surmised.

_An oversized tapestry covered a large section of the left wall, suspended by thick bronze hooks. The nearly twelve foot tall tapestry hung clear to the floor and depicted a large medieval castle with the sun setting slowly behind it. Dumbledore and McGonagall continued on until the door to the spare transfiguration classroom slid into view on their right. While the door itself was unremarkable, the sounds emanating from the seldom used room were not._

"_Hey, mmmm, careful…that tickles…" a throaty, but definitely feminine voice whispered, followed by a stifled giggle._

_The professors stopped walking and stood quietly, listening to the exchange of words from behind the oaken door._

"_Uhhh…sorry, didn't mean it to tickle, meant it to feel like…" a deeper voice responded._

"_Ohhh…Merlin…your hands…" the girl's voice returned before the words stopped and the sound of soft kisses replaced them. _

_Professor McGonagall reached to pull the door open. "Minerva, don't be so hasty. They are hardly breaking the rules with their…activities," Dumbledore cautioned his peer. "And, without being too…"_

_The kissing stopped, and the sound of two cloaks dropping to the floor wafted from the gap between the door and the floor._

"_You were saying Albus?" McGonagall questioned the headmaster._

_More kisses ensued, followed by, "Ohhh, you're so warm…smell so good…" the voice was masculine this time and quieted to the sounds of more kissing, the rustle of clothing, and the shifting of a desk._

Harry and Ginny grinned to each other as they watched their professors debate what to do.

"_Well…as it is not yet curfew, do we have authority to invade their privacy? They are not, shall we say, being public…" _

"But Albus…" McGonagall said, reaching again for the door pull.

"_Minerva, they, whoever they are, have concealed themselves. And we have to consider exactly how they may feel if we intrude on their time alone."_

Harry chuckled, watching the memory unfold, as his headmaster tried in vain to let the couple making use of the abandoned classroom continue on with their romantic activities. Ginny held his arm tightly, laughing softly to herself, her laughter warming him from the inside. Harry wrapped an arm around her. "I never knew there was so much…discussion." Harry whispered to Ginny.

"_Ohhhh…don't stop…please…" the boy's voice croaked in pleasure before it faded and the kissing became more passionate. "Mmmmm…" he growled, "Merlin, your hands girl…"_

"_Albus, we need to, or dare I say should, protect the young lady's virtue by halting this at once." McGonagall pleaded._

"_Minerva, I feel you are mistaken. I believe it is the young man's virtue we should be protective of," Dumbledore replied cheekily._

"_None the less," and without further hesitation, she pulled open the door to scold the parties involved. "Mr. Potter! Miss Weasley!" she gasped in total shock, staring at the memory Harry and Ginny. The memory Ginny had Harry pinned to a large unused desk. She was straddling his hips, his shirt was half unbuttoned and she had both hands on his chest, rubbing his pectoral muscles. Harry had one hand up the back of Ginny's blouse and his other hand was kneading her bum, under her skirt._

Harry and Ginny both fell into a fit of laughter, watching the spectacle in the memory before them. "Look at your hair," the real Ginny teased. Memory Harry's hair was as sloppy and completely disheveled.

"Yeah, check yours out!" Harry retorted. Ginny's hair was pulled partially out of its ponytail, the ribbon just barely holding on and threatening to come off completely. The wave of hair falling off her shoulder cascaded down the right side of her chest, covering the undone buttons of her blouse and most of her white silk bra.

The memory continued to play out.

"_This classroom is intended for use by school administrators, NOT randy students eager to act upon their romantic desires!" McGonagall lectured the couple. Harry appeared to be mortified at being caught in a serious snogging effort, glancing around nervously. Ginny, for her part, seemed more proud of their progress than worried about possible punishment and stared at the interrupting professors unabashedly._

"_Harry, Ginevra…I believe the wisdom Professor McGonagall is trying to impart on us is…There is a time and a place for everything." He studied the two students before him, flushed with desire and longing for each other. "Obviously it is the time…it is just not the place." The aging headmaster guided McGonagall from the doorway and closed the door, leaving the two students alone._

Live Harry and Ginny held each other firmly, laughing, and cuddling each other. "Merlin you looked sexy Gin. How did I ever resist you?" Harry's question was left unanswered as the memory continued to unfold.

"_Albus, why did you pull us away? Detention is in order for both of them!" McGonagall said vehemently. Dumbledore did not answer, leading her along the hallway in silence. "Albus! Answer my question!"_

"_Minerva, it appears to me that Mr. Potter has himself a girlfriend." The headmaster grinned._

"_But…"_

"_Minerva, please…I understand detention was possibly in order, but I think, for now, that Harry should be allowed his freedom. We know his future is in doubt, he's never had a normal life, he is seldom if ever truly happy…And if Miss Weasley can make him smile, as he just was, then I will not do anything at all to interfere." Dumbledore stated softly but firmly._

"_The boy was smiling like the cat that ate the canary wasn't he?" she joked._

"_He was...I believe Miss Weasley may be the best thing to ever happen to our young Mr. Potter."_

The memory faded to white mist and within a few seconds Harry and Ginny were returned to their loft.

"It looks so different seeing it from another viewpoint," Harry commented.

"Yes, I always wondered why we didn't get detention whenever she caught us." Ginny remarked.

"So, that must have been McGonagall's." Harry concluded as he siphoned the memory out of the pensieve and slowly deposited the silvery strand back into the bottle.

"I think so too, ready for number nine?" Ginny asked, pouring the next memory into the pensieve.

**Bottle Nine**

When Harry and Ginny dropped into this memory they both immediately recognized the surroundings, the Gryffindor common room. As usual, it was warm and cozy with fires blazing; the students present were all in Harry's class or one below.

_Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati. Ginny, Colin, Neville and a few others Harry didn't recognize, sat in a ring on the floor near the south side of the room. Various drinks and snacks littered the area. Among the drinks were several bottles of butterbeer, but the main drink of choice appeared to be muggle beer, being passed out by Seamus from an open case beside him. The group had been drinking for a while judging from their actions and words._

"Why are we here?" present day Harry questioned.

"Not sure, could be any one of this lots memory we're seeing," Ginny answered.

"_Your turn Lavender," Dean called out. Lavender reached forward and spun the bottle. Six revolutions later it slowed to a stop, pointing towards Colin._

_Colin leaned forward; Lavender got up on her hands and knees and crawled to him. They kissed gently and returned to their spots._

_Colin spun and the bottle stopped in front of the girl Harry didn't know. The girl giggled and leaned over to kiss Colin. _

_Memory Ginny teased the girl "Marianne and Colin sitting in a tree…k-i-s-s-i-n-g."_

"What are you playing?" asked Harry.

"Spin the bottle, you never played?" Ginny responded a bit surprised.

"No, can't say I ever did. So when it points to you, you have to kiss whoever spun it?"

"That's the idea." Ginny agreed.

_Marianne spun the bottle and it again landed on Colin. They kissed again, longer this time._

"_Berk…Damn Colin…gets more than anyone here. I think he jinxed the bottle." Dean grumbled._

"_Awww, poor Dean feels left out," Ginny teased, punching Dean in the shoulder. "Here, see if I can help you out." She leaned to her right and gave Dean a quick peck on the cheek. "All better?"_

"_Thanks Ginny…" The dark skinned boy smiled. "You know, we should go out."_

Harry, watching the memory, groaned.

"_So you want to date me? You'd think a Gryffindor would be brave enough to ask," Ginny smirked._

_Colin ignored the looks being passed between the two of them and spun the bottle, it landed on Ginny. Ginny leaned over to kiss him too._

Live Harry interrupted Ginny watching the memory. "So this was before you and Dean were dating then?"

"Yes, I think about two maybe three weeks before we all raced off to the Department of Mysteries." Ginny answered, still watching the memory unfurl. "You never played?"

"No, never…you lot had time for that stuff, I was always chasing after Voldemort, or trying to stay alive…" Harry answered nonchalantly. "So why…when a girl spins does it always land on a boy and vice versa?"

"We charmed the bottle. The blokes wanted it left to chance, they all liked the idea that two girls might kiss, until I pointed out that it was possible that two blokes would have to kiss. That ended the argument." Ginny explained.

_Ginny's spin signaled Colin, and Colin again reaped the rewards of his good fortune. _

"_Damn…little blondie is lucky at this," Seamus grumbled. By this time everyone was drinking at least their second or third beer. Seamus was on his fifth and was more inebriated than any of the others. Colin spun again and the bottle pointed to Parvati. After a kiss she spun and to everyone's surprise, or not, it once again faced Colin._

"_He's cheating…the little bugger." Neville sighed, wincing as he saw Colin linger over the second kiss with Parvati._

_Colin spun again, and the bottle pointed to another girl Harry was unfamiliar with. She spun and the bottle landed on Dean. The pair kissed chastely and Dean spun the bottle._

_This time it signaled Ginny._

"_Finally!" he crowed happily. Ginny blushed at his reaction. Unlike the previous kisses witnessed, both Dean and Ginny hesitated as they drew closer. This kiss was about much more than just a game. _

"Bloody hell, I'm gonna have to watch your first real kiss with Dean?" Harry grumbled.

"Aww stuff it Harry." Ginny said defensively.

_Memory Ginny and Dean rubbed noses before tilting their heads and kissing sweetly. The kiss was longer than any of the other kisses so far. As the first kiss ended, Dean initiated a second deeper kiss that Ginny willingly accepted. _

"_Nice kiss," murmured Dean after slowly pulling away from the second kiss. Ginny sat up straighter, smiling shyly. _

Live Ginny smiled, regardless of how things worked out, that first kiss with Dean was sweet and romantic. She braced herself for the rest of the memory.

_The loving moment was utterly and thoroughly destroyed when Seamus bellowed. "Tha's not a kiss, THIS is a kiss!" He pulled Ginny around and planted an open mouth kiss on her face, his tongue lashed out across her lips and he completed the kiss with a loud slurping sound before smacking his lips closed on hers. "Now that's how ya kiss a bird like Ginny." Seamus gloated._

"_No offense Seamus, but I feel like I just got kissed by the world's largest flobberworm." Ginny commented, wiping Seamus' saliva from her lips and chin disgustedly. The rest of the group wailed in laughter._

The memory faded into white mist and then reappeared in the Gryffindor boy's dorm.

_Harry and Ron sat on Ron's bed. Seamus was sitting between them, head down in dejection._

"_I've blown it," Seamus mumbled drunkenly. "Messed it all up, ruined any chance before we even get started…" he whined pathetically._

"_Look, Seamus," Ron began, "we all know how you are. As long as you apologize first thing in the morning you might still have a chance."_

"_Easy for you to say, Hermione just keeps waiting for you," Their Irish friend complained._

"_Huh?" Ron responded unsurely._

"_Jeanette will never speak to me again," Seamus complained._

"Wow, Seamus was really drunk wasn't he?" Real life Ginny observed. "When is this?"

"The party after we won the quidditch cup my sixth year," Harry answered.

"After our kiss?" Ginny smiled. "Now THAT was a kiss." she leaned affectionately on Harry's shoulder. He squeezed her hand in reply.

"Yeah, later that night. You and I'd gone outside and then came back to the party. So this was close to ten o'clock that night. He'd been drinking the whole time. He was smashed." Harry reviewed the events as he remembered them.

"_What happened?" Harry asked Seamus._

"_I was comin' back from the kitchens, and Jeanette was on the sixth floor landing. I went up to talk to her, you know, give 'er the old Seamus charm… and I kind of tripped. The tray of food slipped out of my hand and dumped all over her," he grumbled_

"_Well, that's just bad luck,' Harry countered._

"_Yeah, but that's not the bad part. See, I wanted to help, so I pulled my wand out," Seamus recounted the experience. The other boys groaned. "Not that wand you tossers…my magical one…and in my stupor I managed to mispronounce the cleaning charm." _

"And?" Ron gasped.

"_I turned her hair green." Seamus buried his head in his hands again._

"_Look Seamus, like I said before, that's just a run of bad luck. I've talked to her before; she's a Hufflepuff, kind of tall, right?" Harry offered._

"_Uhh huhhh."_

"_Well, I'll just pop over to their common room and try to explain things for you, try to smooth it over until you can talk to her tomorrow, yeah?" Harry said calmly, trying his best to cheer up his friend._

_Seamus bounded from the bed and awkwardly grabbed Harry in a crushing hug. "Thanks Harry, you're tops… you're a beautiful man." He finished his lofty praises by drunkenly kissing Harry full on the mouth._

"_Ewwww!" All the boys cried in unison._

"_Seamus, never… I repeat never… never ever… kiss me again," Harry declared forcefully. His roommates all continued to howl with laughter._

The memory faded to white again before it shifted for a second time.

Live Harry and Ginny looked around and recognized the setting as their reception. Seamus was talking to Ron, who was holding the carved box. About ten vials of memories had been collected already.

_Seamus turned to Ron. "This'll get a rise out of them," Seamus said through a laugh before continuing. "Harry, Ginny, I love you both. You are the best friends a bloke could have, especially a bloke like me who tends to drink too much and talk too loud. I'm happy the two of you are getting married, so you can kiss and shag all you want, whenever you want, wherever you want."_

Harry and Ginny smiled at the memory. "He is a great friend," Ginny commented.

"He is that," Harry agreed, focusing on the last bit of memory playing out.

_Seamus grinned. "Ya know, I'm not sure how many people here have kissed both of you on the mouth, but I figure it's a pretty exclusive club… And, sorry Harry, but Ginny kisses better…"_

The memory faded away as Harry and Ginny laughed out loud at the last bit of their friend's memory. The couple gazed into each others eyes for a second before closing what little distance laid between them and kissed; slowly at first, but then deeper. After a good five minute snog, they released each other.

"You kiss better than Seamus," Harry joked.

"So do you love, so do you," Ginny chuckled.

"So, number twenty-six to go then?" Harry asked as he returned Seamus' bottle back to the box, and retrieved the third vial, marked twenty-six. He removed the glass stopper and let the silvery contents slip down into the pensieve. After letting the memory settle he took Ginny's hand and the pair of them pressed their faces into the swirling contents.

**Bottle Twenty-Six**

The now familiar white mist enveloped the couple as the memory began. The mist was soon replaced by the unmistakable vision of green flames, with Harry and Ginny's carriage house loft visible through the jade tinted fire.

_Memory Ginny was busily dusting the end table by the sofa. Her hair was in a hastily piled bun, loose strands fell to her shoulders and across the well worn 'Chasers go all game long' T-shirt. The shirt itself was partially tucked into her faded and torn jeans._

"_Msss Gineee!" Teddy squealed in delight running towards her._

_Ginny quickly turned to face him and caught the small boy easily as he leapt into her open arms. "Ohhh, it is so good to see you Larry," Ginny said teasingly._

"_Uhh uhhh, I'm Teddy, not Larry!" Teddy declared._

"_Are you sure?" Ginny leaned her head back and focused a steady stare at her Godson. "Hmmm, you're right! You aren't Larry…you're Matt!"_

"_No, no, no!" wailed Teddy. "Not Matt… Teddy!"_

_Ginny squinted and tilted her head. "Sooo…not Matt either…maybe you're Brian!" she laughed before nuzzling her nose to his neck and blowing a giant raspberry._

"_Awww, Ginn-eee... it's me, Teddy!" He pulled her head up until he had her undivided attention and then turned his hair the same vibrant auburn color of Ginny's._

_Ginny smiled brightly. "Ohhh, Teddy Lupin…" she replied as if the recognition was dawning on her for the first time and pulled him closer. "Hey buddy we missed you last weekend, glad you're feeling better."_

_Teddy squirmed down and chased after Arnold, whom he'd spotted near the windowsill of the large picture window overlooking the front yard. The miniature puffeskin quickly fled the area in a bid for self preservation._

"_Teddy, careful with him, you're getting awfully strong now…pet him nice, OK?" Ginny called after him._

"_OK" Teddy's voice came from the spare room._

"_Hello Ginny dear, how are you." Andromeda asked as she set Teddy's weekend bag on the sofa._

"_Fine, how are you doing?" Ginny hugged the older woman._

_Teddy emerged from the spare room, gently carrying Arnold. Arnold hummed happily as Teddy carefully petted the purple fluffball._

"_I'm doing well…I have a busy day, so I'll leave you to it then. Have fun." Andromeda smiled at the pretty young woman. "Bye Teddy, love you, be good for Harry and Ginny."_

"_By Gramma,' Teddy called as Mrs. Tonks flooed away. He turned to Ginny. "Can we make bizz-kits?"_

"_Sure, come on to the kitchen."_

Real Harry and Ginny watched as Teddy and memory Ginny began making the dough for the biscuits.

"_Ok, so we need the flour to put on the baking sheets." Ginny said absently, as she placed the milk in the cooler._

'_Whooof!' " EEK!" Teddy screeched._

Harry and Ginny laughed out loud.

_The memory Teddy spilled an entire canister of flour onto the countertop as he tried to pour a small bit out on the baking sheets. The large mushroom shaped cloud of white powder quickly clouded their vision._

"_Teddy!" shrieked Ginny._

"_Sorry… I fix it!" Teddy replied quickly and he began pushing the powder off the edge of the countertop to the floor, creating another cloud of flour._

"_Noooo," Ginny cried, "let me help you." She crouched down and pulled her wand to cast a quick cleaning spell._

"_Sorry, Ginn-ee, I'll put the can away." He tried his best to pick up the now half full canister of flour, but it slipped from his dry, powder covered hands and slid across the counter, teetering for a moment, before tilting off the edge and landing squarely on Ginny's head._

"_OW!" she yelped in surprise. She quickly popped up from behind the counter. Her bun now hung more alongside her head than on top of it, her normally gloriously red hair was now white, with hints and streaks of red. The flow of flour down her forehead covered her nose and cheeks as well, before covering her chest._

_Teddy attempted to look sad, but couldn't help himself, and giggled at her. "Ginn-ee, yer all white and messy!"_

"_Oh yeah mister!" she laughed back and tossed a handful of flour at him, hitting him squarely in the shoulder._

"_Hey" he grabbed a handful of flour too and the food fight began. _

Ginny clutched to Harry as she laughed at the memory. In retrospect it had been one of her favorite Teddy visits, and it was about to get better.

"_Shhhhh." Ginny shushed the flour covered boy. "I think I just heard Harry apparate in to the garage downstairs." She listened intently, and nodded her head. "Teddy!" she whispered. "Grab the jar of flour and come here!"_

_Teddy grabbed the canister of flour and the two of them waited behind the door for an unsuspecting Harry to enter the loft._

'_Click,' the lock disengaged, the doorknob twisted and Harry stepped though the door. Ginny immediately tackled him and Teddy doused him in flour._

"_What the bloody he…" he caught himself before finishing the curse. Ginny was now wrestling around trying to tickle his ribs. Teddy was hanging on his neck giggling crazily. Another steady haze of baking flour arose as the two cohorts in crime ambushed Harry._

_The wrestling continued, flour splattering and dropping all over the floor of the loft. After a good ten minutes of wrestling the trio ended up with Harry on his back, Teddy resting crossways on his chest and Ginny leaning over the two of them, all three grinning madly with white faces, hair and clothing. A slightly purple, mostly white, flour covered Arnold stood shakily on Ginny's shoulder, licking a bit of batter from her hair._

_Teddy sighed softly, snuggling into Harry's chest. "Papa Harry, Ginn-ee… I wuv you…"_

"_We love you too Teddy," Harry and Ginny replied together, each kissing the flour covered boy and squeezing him gently._

The memory was over and slowly the milky wisps of the memory evaporated, revealing the loft kitchen, with the stone pensieve resting on the countertop.

Harry smiled and wiped a tear from his eye. "You know, for all the times we've taken him to quidditch, or the carnival, or to the beach, or the broom races… that's the one he remembered…just the three of us goofing off and wrestling in flour."

"Well, they say it's the simple things that matter, don't they?" Ginny commented. "You know though, any time I remember that I always grin like an idiot. It was a lot of fun."

"Yeah, it was." Harry tipped his wand into the pensieve and withdrew the memory, placing it carefully back into bottle twenty-six.

Ginny stepped forward and wrapped her husband into a hug. He returned the gesture and the couple cast a glance at the wooden box full of memories. "Well, Mr. Potter, did you have any other plans or particular ideas on how we might continue to celebrate our anniversary?" Ginny asked seductively.

"Honesty, Ginny, I'd like to see some more of these." He gestured open handed towards the thirty-one glass vials of silvery memories.

"We can view more of them later, after we celebrate in a more…intimate way…" Ginny corrected him with a full kiss and a squeeze of his bum.

"Yeah…yeah, they can wait until…later…"

A/N so there you go. I'll be updating this weekly. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2 Bottles 10, 11, 17

**Bottles Ten, Eleven and Seventeen**

From chapter one…

"We can view more of them later, after we celebrate in a more…intimate way…" Ginny persuaded Harry with a full kiss and a squeeze of his bum.

"Yeah…yeah, they can wait until…later…" he agreed.

Harry rested with Ginny beside him, both relaxing after their private anniversary celebration. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, although it was difficult to be much closer than they already were. He brushed the fringe of Ginny's hair when he kissed her forehead. "Gin?"

"Mmmm…what?" she answered through a small sigh.

"Tired enough to sleep, or not?"

"What are my options if I choose not?" she pulled herself up, pressing a small kiss to his chin.

"I was thinking maybe a bit of something to drink and then maybe pick a few more bottles," he suggested hopefully.

"You talked me into it." Ginny pulled herself from his grasp. "_Accio robe!"_ she summoned her robe from where it rested on the armchair in the corner. While she pulled her thick terry cloth robe on, Harry donned pajama pants and a fresh T-shirt.

Harry rose from the bed and Ginny walked around the sitting bench and met him by the stairs down to the main level of the loft. Harry led her down to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen Ginny retrieved a pitcher of cold water, Harry pulled two clean glasses from the drying rack, and the couple reconvened by the counter near the pensieve.

"You like this tradition, don't you?" she asked.

"I do…I don't have much to go on for tradition's sake. We do our own tree, and make ornaments every year for Christmas, but other than that…" his voice trailed off as he studied the thirty-one bottles carefully.

"So pick a few." She smiled encouragingly as he hesitated.

Harry closed his eyes and pulled three more bottles from the velvet lined box, passing them to Ginny.

Ginny held the bottles, turning the labels so she could read the printing. "And the winners are…ten, eleven and seventeen," Ginny proclaimed.

Harry carefully emptied bottle ten into the carved stone bowl.

**Bottle Ten**

Harry and Ginny opened their eyes, taking a moment to adjust to their new location inside the memory. They had been placed in front of a large plate glass window, overlooking a completely normal residential street.

_The sun shone brightly across the velvety green lawns. Each house, while unique in some of its characteristics held the same pedestrian appearance as all the others. Flower gardens dressed up each property, each yard was mowed neatly, and driveways contained similar, conservative four door sedans. All in all it was an antiseptic neighborhood devoid of any individual touch, other than the color of paint used to trim out the modest brick houses._

"Where are…" Ginny began to ask.

"Privet Drive," Harry replied lowly before she could finish the query.

_The serenity of the neighborhood was quickly interrupted. The thick rose bushes to the left of the drive rustled and a small, rag-tag, skinny, black haired boy burst through. His face and forearms scratched and bleeding from his recent foray though the thorny flowers. The small boy glanced shiftily before darting though the yard, around the trash cans and diving behind a neighbors grey Ford._

"_Harr-reee, here Harr-reee…" a thick voice called from around the far side of the house._

_Three boys rounded the corner, panting and short of breath. "The little wanker can run can't he?" a tall boy asked the obese boy that was the leader of the little gang._

"_Yeah, well he can't hide forever. He knows if he's not home from school before three-thirty that my Mum'll have Dad use the belt on him," the large boy explained._

"_Hey, big D… Why don't we just hold back then and wait for him?" the shorter blond haired boy suggested._

"_Are ya daft? If we wait by my house, then we might be seen. It's not like Mum'll do anything to me, but if she finds out we're not having tea with your mum Piers, then we'll have to explain…" Big D said with authority. The other boys nodded their agreement._

"Who the hell…" Ginny fumed.

"That's Dudley and his gang…they're Harry hunting…Dudley's the fat one, Piers is the tall one, don't recall the third one, he was new."

"Harry hunting?" Ginny remarked in surprise.

"You know about this," Harry answered calmly, "I've told you all about it."

"_I bet he's over behind the trellis," Piers pointed to a tall wooden trellis separating the side yard from the driveway._

"_Lets get-im!" the short boy called out. The three split up to investigate the trellis._

_Young Harry, recognizing his cover was about to be blown dove under the car. He squirmed under and barely concealed himself before Dudley's gang rounded the rear of the sedan. Harry repositioned himself so he could get a better view of his freshly skinned kneecap, the fresh scrapes already cherry-red with blood._

_Dudley peered behind the trellis. "Damn, he ain't here!" He kicked the base of it and knocked it askew. In the meantime, memory Harry slid further under the car. He whelped as his arm bumped the muffler. He pulled his arm around to see the damage. A large burn covered his scrawny bicep._

Live Ginny seethed in anger. "Who the hell gave us this!" she ranted. "What's the idea…?"

"Relax Gin, I know why its here…" Harry continued to watch his much smaller self cry under the car. "the Gilberts, that's their car…Mr. Gilbert had just gotten home… it was still hot." He rubbed his left bicep as if the burn still lingered.

_At this point the memory shifted as the person watching from the window moved quickly to a small entryway and the door to the front yard was pulled open._

"_You boys! OUT! GET OUT OF MY YARD!" the voice screamed, its tone rising as the words escaped. "I'll call your mothers, I mean it, go on…"_

_When the trio of troublemakers left, grumbling as they wandered down the street, the memory's owner stepped onto the front porch and motioned kindly to the small boy._

"_It's okay dear, come on out…" she beckoned in a warm voice._

_Harry peered out from under the neighbor's car, unsure if it was wise to do so._

"_They're gone now, come on." Harry pulled himself up slowly. "Here, let's get you fixed up." The kind voice offered as Harry made his way to the front door, limping in pain. _

"_Have a seat…what's your name?" The lady offered, swooshing two cats off the loveseat in the front room._

"_Sorry, I'm not allowed to be in the front room…I'll just sit on the steps," Harry mumbled and stepped across the small entry to the polished oak stairs._

"Harry, I don't want to watch this…" Ginny objected.

"Shhh, calm down Gin, watch a bit longer. This is why it was given to us, or to me I should say," Harry replied.

"_Nonsense, you can come over here and sit where it's comfortable," she corrected him._

"_No, if…if Aunt Petunia finds out I was in the front room…I'll…I'll get a whipping…don't make me…" Harry couldn't hold back the tears and two escaped before he fought them back._

"_I'll be back in second dear." The lady left the entryway._

"_What's your name?" the old lady asked gently a second time when she returned carrying a clean towel and a tube of antiseptic ointment._

"_Harry, Harry Potter," he replied, bowing his head._

"_There's no Potters in the neighborhood," The lady informed him, beginning to clean his burn._

"_No ma'am, they…my parents died in a car crash…the Dursley's have been gracious enough to provide for me," Harry replied softly, not bothering to raise his head._

"_Car crash…doubt that…" she mumbled, continuing to treat his scrapes and cuts._

The boy in the memory did not hear her, but the adult Ginny and Harry watching the memory did.

"_Well, Harry Potter, any time those…boys…come after you, you come here, understand?" she instructed._

"_No, if Dudley and his gang figure it out, they'll wreck your yard," Harry said. "B'sides, I'm not worth it…the trouble…you're better off not knowing me."_

_The old woman now knelt down in front of him. "Now, Harry Potter, you listen to me," she said firmly but kindly. "You are more important than you can possibly imagine. You are strong and brave, kind and true of heart. That gang of boys will be lucky to stay out of prison, but you, you are destined for greatness."_

"_How can I be great, when I'm just scrawny little me? I…I can't even defend myself…how can I be brave when I hide from everyone?" Harry's questions rushed out and he flinched from having asked them, knowing he wasn't supposed to ask questions._

"_Because you are Harry Potter, and while the Dursleys may not believe it, you dear boy, are indeed special."_

"_Are you sure you're talking to the right Harry Potter?" Harry looked up at the woman hesitantly._

_She brushed his sloppy mop of hair off his forehead gently, uncovering his scar for a brief moment. "Yes dear, I have the right Harry Potter. And on those days, when you feel alone, remember that there are people who care about you, people you've never met."_

"_Do you think I'm normal then? My uncle…he always says I'm not normal, I'm unnatural…that I don't deserve love, that I'm lucky they keep me…" a large butterscotch colored cat brushed against his leg._

"_Harry, I do not think you are normal, I believe you are extraordinary. And one day, the whole world will know it," she assured him._

"_Really? Nobody's ever said that to me before…" Harry smiled shyly, taking a moment to stroke the cat's back._

"_Well it's true. You, Harry Potter, are important and don't you ever forget it." She patted him on his unscraped knee. "Now, you go on and I'll phone your aunt and tell her I asked you to clean up a trash can a stray dog spilled. That ought to keep you out of trouble for being late."_

The memory ended, leaving the adult Harry and Ginny standing, with Ginny's head tucked into the crook of his shoulder. She gave a few small sobs. "That was not what I was expecting. Who would give us a memory of you being what was it… Harry hunted?" she asked, her voice full of hurt.

"Mrs. Figg. She lived near me…she was," Harry sighed. "She was the first person to ever tell me I was special, or at least normal. She gave me a spot to hide. Sometimes she'd ask aunt Petunia if I could come over to clean out her trashcans. Of course Aunt Petunia always said yes, as long as Mrs. Figg promised not to pay me." Harry regained his normal voice. "She'd let me inside, and give me a break from my aunt and uncle."

"This was the first time I ever met her, first time I heard that I wasn't a freak. The first time I ever had hope…Did you know she came to my trial, for the Dementor attack before fifth year?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head no and squeezed his chest. "The beginning of that memory…"

"Well, Mrs. Figg was…well, is a little odd, but I always trusted her, and she never let me down."

"So you're fine with this memory then?" She rose up on her tiptoes for a closer look into Harry's familiar emerald eyes.

"Yeah, to me…this memory gives me hope, and I've recalled it more than once when I felt down, or overwhelmed." Harry smiled and gave Ginny a small kiss on the forehead.

"Well fine then… it felt so different seeing it versus you telling me about it. You were so small…you didn't have glasses either."

"No, I didn't get glasses until my second year of primary school. I wouldn't have got them then, except they gave the free eye test at school and the nurse sent home a slip that had to be signed." Harry said while returning the memory to its small glass bottle.

"Even then, Uncle Vernon didn't want to pay for them, so he sent me to the local consignment store and fished about in a tray of used glasses until he found a pair that fit, never mind the prescription wasn't right. I didn't see properly until my fourth year of primary, when we had another free test. This time though, the free clinic gave me glasses that had the right lenses." Harry poured the next bottle into the pensieve as he finished relaying the story. "It was those round glasses I've had ever since."

"Wow, you grew up so different than me. My Mum and Dad would have done anything to make sure …sorry Love, I know it still hurts…" she wrapped her husband up in a tight hug.

"Right then…next trip down memory lane, here we come." Harry smiled and pulled Ginny into the pensieve with him.

**Bottle Eleven**

Harry and Ginny held each other waiting for the swirling mist to subside and the memory to appear. The darkness awaiting them caused them to blink rapidly as their eyes adjusted to the low light level.

_In the background the pair could hear shouts and yells of partygoers. They stood near a large campfire, surrounded by a large number of family and friends, beyond the vast array of tents pitched in the vicinity of the fire, the outline of the Chudley __Cannon's__ stadium rose into the clear night sky. Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand into the circle of light cast by the fire. Harry chose a seat near Ron and Hermione._

The two new arrivals to the memory surveyed the scene.

"You know when this is…right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah…the first night we spent together…my favorite detention of all time." Ginny smiled.

"Wow, that's quite a compliment. McGonagall said you were in detention a lot!" Harry joked.

"Yeah, but not as much as I should have been. I hardly ever got caught pranking, it was other desires that got me into hot water." Ginny slid her hand into Harry's and gave it a soft squeeze. "I wonder whose this is?"

"_Hmmpfff…" Bill huffed._

"_Vat is eet Bill?" Fleur questioned._

"_Look at them, I'm not ready for this…I'm not." Bill sighed, nudging Fleur to watch Harry sitting on a large log, Ginny snuggling against him, sitting crossways in his lap._

"_I waz not aware you needed to be ready…no? Is eet not their decision to make?" Fleur challenged her husband._

"_Well yeah, I know that. She's grown up so much, but I still see her as eleven years old. And Harry is still the skinny kid that went to the Quidditch World Cup with us." Bill said._

"_Yes, an 'Arry is the skinny boy who saved Gabrielle only a few months later, or saved Ginny years before…the same boy you supported the night before the last task…as family," she reminded him._

"_But now, look at them. There's hundreds of witches and wizards partying all around and they're oblivious to all of it. Harry's looking at her like she's hung the moon and put the twinkle in the stars." Bill pointed out. "And watch Ginny, he's her hero, and it doesn't have anything to do with the chamber, or fighting dragons, or slaying Voldemort. He's her hero because he cares more about her than he does himself."_

"_Yes, he does, and she loves 'im for being 'Arry, the same skinny boy she met years ago." Fleur agreed._

"_He even loves the parts of her the rest of us can't stand." Bill said wryly._

"_Like ze Weasley temper?" Fleur smiled._

"_We don't all have the temper." Bill defended himself._

"_Aahh, Bill…yes all ze Weasleys have ze temper. It is ze red hair, no?" she ruffled his head in appreciation._

"_Yeah, I heard him talking to Seamus one night. He said, and I quote 'I'll tell you, when she gets her back up, and that fiery look in her eyes, she's dead sexy. Heck sometimes I do something to make her mad, just so I can see her all bothered.'…can you believe he said that?" Bill questioned._

"_Well, yes…I do zee same thing some times," Fleur kissed his scarred cheek._

_The couple watched through the flames and heat waves as Harry kissed Ginny tenderly and whispered into her ear. Ginny giggled and whispered back to him, causing Harry to laugh softly before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "See what I mean, they're perfect…" Bill groused._

"_Uhhh!' Fleur groaned. "Zen what ees zee problem!"_

"_I told you, I'm not ready!" Bill retorted._

"_And I told you, eet is not your problem to have!" Fleur sounded back. "Now, zat ees not ze problem. Tell me zee real problem."_

_Bill sighed heavily. "All my life, and Charlie's and the twins and Percy's and Ron's lives we've been conditioned to watch out for Ginny. And all of us agreed that whenever a bloke was…well, the one… we'd all make sure he knew not to hurt Ginny. We'd impress upon him that our sister was to be treated with respect." Bill paused and watched Ginny run her hand up the front of Harry's jumper and shook his head. "We had it all planned out, what to do, how to act, we knew exactly what to do to put the fear of Merlin himself into any boy that would try and take our Ginny away."_

_Fleur appraised her husband carefully. "And…?"_

"_Well, I've had this scenario in my head for years, about how to handle it. How I, big brother Bill, would make the little twerp run for the hills, scared to death of her older brothers."_

_Fleur sighed impatiently. "And…?"_

"_And not only do I not feel like trying to scare him, as if I could, I want to give him tips to make sure he gives her as much pleasure as possible." Bill groaned and rested his face in his hands._

"_So…ze reason for your turmoil ees zat you want 'Arry to take Ginny to bed?"_

"_Yes."_

"_And you want eem to give her great pleasure?"_

"_Yes." He pulled his head from his hands to gaze at his wife._

"_Well, Bill zen you are a much better big brother for eet." Fleur kissed him firmly on the lips. "Oh, and Bill if you do give 'Arry ze pointers, make sure you tell eem how to do ze leg thing."_

Real Ginny screeched in shock. "Oh Merlin! You learned the leg thing from Bill!"

_In the background, Bill and Fleur rose from their seats. Bill stepped forward to hug Ginny and Harry before leading his wife away from the party. _

The memory dissolved leaving a speechless Ginny standing next to a grinning Harry.

"Well, say something Gin…" Harry smirked as Ginny opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and opened her mouth a second time without a sound being uttered, shocked at the revelation.

Harry gently closed her mouth using his thumb and forefinger. "You need a break, or are you ready for the next one?" he smiled and gave her a soft kiss.

Ginny went to speak again, but when words failed her for a second time she picked up a glass of water from the counter and sipped gently until she regained her composure. "We can do the next one now," she said softly.

**Bottle Seventeen**

Ginny held Harry tightly as the duo landed in the center of the next memory.

_The scene before them was familiar, set in the main ballroom of the Ministry of Magic. An orchestra situated in the near corner of the hall played Shostakovich effortlessly as couples, dressed formally, spun gracefully across the floor. Dinner tables dressed in white linen, bathed only by soft candlelight covered the far half of the ballroom. Harry, resplendent in smartly pressed black dress robes navigated through the tables gracefully. Ginny, hand resting on his forearm, followed along as the couple approached the dance floor._

_Ginny's auburn hair, styled to perfection, twisted gracefully upon itself, pinned up with only a few styled ringlets framing her smiling face. Her ruby red, satin gown swept gracefully from just below her bare shoulders, to her calves. The bare back of the dress bunched a bit, just above her waist before sweeping down to the floor, leaving a small trail of fabric sliding along the floor behind her. Ginny's radiant smile was matched only by Harry's._

"I know when this is…It's the first ministry ball we attended after being married." Ginny quickly identified the memory. Harry nodded his agreement.

_The music changed to a waltz by Tchaikovsky. Harry guided Ginny to his arms and set off, dancing smoothly across the crowded floor. The memory continued to follow the recently wed couple as they danced and laughed softly to each other. _

_The perspective of the memory shifted as its owner moved to the dance floor as well, approaching Molly Weasley. "May I, Molly?" a deep voice politely asked permission for a dance._

"_Of course Minister," she accepted gracefully. Together the friends danced, both watching the most famous couple in attendance._

"_They do make an extraordinary couple, don't they?" Kingsley whispered._

_Molly watched as Harry spun Ginny twice and carefully brought her back into his arms. Molly responded after observing her daughter and her son-in law. "Yes, they surely do."_

"_Do you think they even realize how much attention they're receiving?" Kingsley asked, noting that by now more couples were watching Harry and Ginny than were still dancing. "They seem oblivious…"_

"_I was afraid Harry might be worried about all the press, and try to hide tonight," Molly commented._

"_I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't…" he motioned to the dance floor with his right hand… "this." The older couple watched the younger couple twirl happily._

"_She's absolutely radiant Molly." _

"_He does have that effect on her; she gets so caught up in being with him…" Molly observed._

"_The effect appears to be mutual…" Kingsley added, watching as Harry tipped his head down and rained a series of small kisses down Ginny's neck, causing the vibrant young woman to giggle and clutch her husband more tightly._

_By now, the only couples dancing were Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron and Molly with Kingsley. The remainder of the attendees and the last two couples on the dance floor watched in admiration while the most famous wizarding couple in the world danced unaware of the attention being paid them._

"I never realized that we were the only ones dancing." Live Harry observed, watching the memory.

"I know…not to sound conceited, but to see us like that…we looked perfect together." Ginny said.

"You more than me…You are so bloody gorgeous," Harry murmured along her shoulder as he kissed his way up to her lips. Ginny tilted her head up to ease his access, and when he reached her lips with his, returned the kisses with passion.

_In the memory, photographers slipped from the shadows and clicked off a battery of photos. The flashes, momentarily highlighting the couple, caused the memory Harry and Ginny to blink rapidly to the intrusion._

Harry and Ginny dancing at the ball dissolved away, leaving a much more casually dressed couple in their kitchen, kissing and dancing slowly to the music in the rapidly fading memory.

"And that led us to this…" real Ginny smiled, pulling a large photo album from the bookshelf near the counter, and began flipping carefully through the pages. She found the desired page and flopped the book open. A full half of the front page of _The Daily Prophet_ showed Harry and Ginny dancing across the floor, before kissing softly. The headline above the picture announced 'Magical Royalty'

The article with the accompanying photo read:

'Last night, the magical world was treated to its first glimpse of magical royalty. Harry Potter and his beautiful wife Ginevra attended the Ministry's annual Spring Ball and Charity Dinner. The famous couple, married just sixty-four days at the time wowed the crowd with their charm and grace. Many in the magical world thought the couple might be aloof or reserved, given the past history of Mr. Potter and the wizarding press, but Harry and his lovely wife surprised all by answering questions, posing for photos and leading the first dance with the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

'The penultimate moment of the night came later when the magical world's version of royalty danced alone as the crowd watched in awestruck admiration. Lest there be any doubt, Harry and Ginevra Potter symbolize the hope of the future for all of magical Britain.'

"We raised over forty-two thousand galleons that night…for the orphanages…" Harry smiled.

"Yes, because you challenged every man there to step up and give…" Ginny reminded him. "And then you matched it again later, anonymously."

"Ginny, if these were collected during our wedding, how did this memory get added, it's after our wedding?" Harry questioned.

"I think Ron and Hermione or Mum and Dad must have gone to him later. Remember, he had to leave early from the reception because of that ruckus with the maintenance crews at the Ministry." Ginny explained.

"Right, forgot about that." he paused to press a small kiss to her lips. "Can't forget that gown though...How on earth did that dress stay up anyway? I mean, it didn't have a back, and it was supporting…you know…your…" Harry blushed, thinking of his wife's figure.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "My whats?" she smirked before answering the question. "Its called magic…you should try to learn it…"

"You're magical…" Harry replied, moving in for another round of kissing. The kisses slowed as Ginny changed the timbre of the kisses. Harry responded by moving the kisses to her cheek, then her jaw, before moving down her neck. His slipped the robe off her shoulder and brushed his lips across her shoulder.

Ginny sighed softly, saying, "we need to go back upstairs."

"Yes, we do…" Harry agreed and led his wife back to the loft bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3  Bottles 29, 5, 19

**Bottles Twenty-Nine, Five and Nineteen**

"Harry! Are you ready yet?" Ginny called up to the bedroom loft from the main room, where she was just finishing up her own packing. Truly, the trip was going to be fairly short; only a few days of relaxation before she had to be back to the Harpies training facility for the next rounds of practice, and Harry needed to report for his next assignment. Both Harry and Ginny looked forward to leaving the cold of Britain in January to someplace, anyplace, warm and tropical.

The invitation to use Kingsley Shacklebolt's private vacation home on Grand Cayman Island was too good to pass up, and as Harry good-naturedly pointed out, it was politically the right thing to do. After all, any young Auror looking to advance in the ministry should never turn down an invitation from the Minster of Magic himself. Even stuffy Percy knew that. Add in the fact that Kinglsey was a valued friend first, and Minister of Magic second in the couples' eyes and there really hadn't been much of a decision to make.

Harry's soft footfalls making their way down the spiral steps of the loft confirmed his readiness. He walked to the door and shrunk his suitcase with a quick charm. "Give me yours and I'll do it too," he said motioning to the small bag Ginny was holding.

"Thanks," She passed him the small dark green bag.

Harry surveyed her case carefully. "Ginny, you know…I've noticed that nearly everything you own now is dark green…you're not turning into a closet Slytherin supporter…are you?" He teased her, knowing full well that her luggage was in the Harpies team colors of dark green with gold trim.

"So, what if I am? Maybe I do have a dark side…" She smiled at her husband of one year and one day. "Speaking of my dark green possessions, are we taking the bikes? I know the island isn't very big," she said, referring to the pair of custom motorcycles located on the ground floor of the carriage house the pair called home.

"Honestly I hadn't thought much about it. I figured we'd spend most of our time either in the house or walking through town, or diving. Kingsley said he just disapparates wherever he needs to go."

"They don't take up much room if we shrink them; let's take them…just in case." Ginny pleaded. "We've not ridden in ages."

"Okay," Harry relented. "All set then?" He held the door for Ginny. "The owls…"

"I flooed over to the Mum and Dad's to make sure they remembered, while you showered. Edgar and Ellie flew off when I got back," Ginny confirmed.

"Did you tell her not to spoil them this time?" Harry grumbled.

"I did, and her response was…and I quote," Ginny changed her voice, placing one hand on her hip and using her other to point at Harry in a wicked impersonation of her Mum. "Well…Since I don't have any new grandchildren to spoil I have to make do by spoiling the owls."

"Whoa…what'd you say to that?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"I lied, told her I thought Hermione might have some news for her, and then bolted for the door." Ginny grinned.

Just then the floo activated, from the green flames Hermione's irate voice filled the loft. "BLOODY HELL! GINNY! HOW COULD YOU? Ohhhh, dammit Ginny, now she'll be on us even worse. ARE YOU THERE! Well crap! That's it, I'm coming over and you're going to explain to your…"

"We better go." Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him from the flat to the garage below.

Harry closed and locked the door behind them, laughing heartily. "Being married to your brother has expanded her vocabulary, that's for sure…Hermione won't talk to you for weeks after this," Harry chuckled.

"It was all I could do. I was not having that conversation this morning. She smiled. "My self preservation instincts kicked in," she giggled.

Harry shrunk his black chopper and Ginny's green and gold motorcycle, stowing them in a duffle bag. Ginny snuggled into his embrace, Harry turned them on his heel and the couple vanished with a small pop, just as Hermione threw the door open, cursing them both.

Harry swung Ginny around happily as the couple landed in the foyer of the beach house on Grand Cayman, both still grinning from Ginny's skewering of Hermione. Ginny surveyed their new location. The dark mahogany floors of the house gleamed in the sunlight. The dark flooring contrasted superbly with the pale yellow walls and white trim. Framed beachscape paintings and large potted palms completed the decorations not only in the foyer, but in the casual sitting room as well. Floral print couches and chairs complemented the light airy feeling of the living spaces.

Ginny removed herself from Harry's grasp, and meandered to the windows overlooking Little Sound. The steps off the screened-in front porch led to a stone path and through the garden to a break in the dunes. From there the white sandy beach lay before them, small waves lapping up to shore.

"I wish I didn't have to be back for practice so soon," Ginny complained as she took in their surroundings. "We'd have a bunch more time together."

"I know, we've not had much time recently, have we?" Harry agreed. "Between my missions and Gwenog's practice schedules, our time together has been cut short of late."

"You don't think 'Mione will chase us down here do you?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"No, I don't think so. Should she be apparating this far in her condition?" Harry said with a smirk.

"I'm gonna get pranked for this, you know that right?"

"Oh yeah, by Ron too I bet." Harry agreed. "Let's go for a swim."

After several hours swimming and sunning themselves on the beach, the couple returned to the beach house for a bite to eat. They rummaged around the kitchen, making and then finishing some cold sandwiches and a few slices of fresh fruit before Harry pulled his suitcase onto the counter and carefully unpacked the carved stone pensieve and the small box containing thirty-one bottled memories.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, casting him an inquisitive look.

"What, why not? We've already had a swim, and lunch," he defended his actions. "I'd like to see more of them."

Ginny smiled broadly at her husband. "Go ahead, pick one," she encouraged him with a small wave of her hand.

Harry closed his eyes and ran his fingers along the tops of the bottles, back and forth as if he was feeling his way to the right bottle. He gently pulled one bottle up and then opened his eyes. "Twenty-Nine," he announced, and carefully emptied the memory into the pensieve, stirring it gently with his wand tip.

Ginny came closer and held his hand; both tipped their faces to the swirling mist, and fell into the memory.

**Bottle Twenty-Nine**

Harry landed solidly in the memory, holding Ginny's hand. More details came into focus as he and Ginny straightened up from their entrance.

_The swirls cleared off and memory Ginny walked through them towards a group of witches. In the background, music was playing and various witches and wizards wandered about carrying food, drink or both. A few couples danced on a section of hardwood floor near the windows, overlooking the London quidditch pitch. The conversations drifting across the room focused entirely on quidditch._

"_Hello ladies," Ginny called as she pulled out an empty chair at the large round table and sat to join her friends. _

"_Well, now we can get started, psycho witch is here," cheered a blond haired woman in a dark blue dress robes. The other witches toasted her arrival as well._

_Ginny smiled at the welcome and poured herself a glass of wine. The witches gabbed and teased each other for a while, the main target of the teasing being Ginny, the youngest woman at the table._

"_So Gin-Gin what was that I heard about getting naked in one of the changing tents?" a slim brunette questioned. _

"_I was just changing from one of the test uniforms, is all," Ginny replied with a slight blush._

"_Uhh-uhhh," another witch retorted. "Was the tent empty when you arrived?"_

_Ginny gulped her drink. "I'm going to get more, anybody else?" all the girls nodded and Ginny set off for more drinks._

"So…" Harry watching the memory started. "We know when this was, don't we?" He wrapped real Ginny in a hug from behind.

She nodded. "Yeah, the Quality Quidditch product roundup…"

_Ginny in the memory returned with more drinks, but instead of sitting she made her way to the dance floor and pulled Harry away from an elderly witch with a large red, dragon hide handbag that clashed horribly with her flower print dress. After rescuing Harry, the couple danced for a bit before Harry was pulled away to greet a group of businessmen._

_Ginny returned to the table and drank a few more rounds with her Harpies team mates. Soon the conversation returned to Ginny's love life, or lack of love life as the girls called it._

"_So," Sandy began a fresh round of torment, "does our young protégé need some advice on straightening out her rather dismal love life?"_

_Ginny nodded no, giving a quick, "No way."_

"_Yes way," Melinda answered for the group. "We've all voted and we all agree, you need to be shagged…"_

"_Thoroughly and completely shagged," Sandy added in._

"_And the sooner the better," another witch chimed in._

"_No, really, I don't." Ginny objected. "That's the last thing I need right now." She swigged down a tropical drink of some type, not paying any particular attention to what the drink was._

"_Look Weasley, we've been patient with you all summer. The sad nights alone, the nights all you wanted to do was scream and rant, the nights you drank to forget…" Angela recited from memory._

"_And since you've come to all of us at one time or another for advice…" Melinda picked up the conversation._

"_Or to blow off steam, or ask if you should just run to him for forgiveness…" Sandy added._

"_No, I don't need this…" Ginny muttered in embarrassment, taking a big gulp of wine from her second glass._

"_EXACTLY," Sandy exclaimed. "You don't need this, you need a couple hours alone and sweaty with a wizard of your choice."_

_Ginny paled at the suggestion and finished off the last of her wine._

"_Or our choice…" Wendy added with a waggle of her eyebrows. "What about the dark haired one over there?" she pointed to Harry. "You already danced with him, he's a good height for you, and he's got a nice bum…"_

"_Completely shaggable…" Sandy agreed._

"_Shot time!" Melinda called out. The six witches each threw back a shot of fire whiskey, Ginny finishing before the others._

"_Look, I told you lot…I need to work through some stuff, and sort out what I want and need," Ginny tried to defend her actions over the summer._

"_What you need is some horizontal training," one of the witches threw in to the conversation._

Real life Harry squeezed Ginny as she ducked her head into his shoulder. "Wow, they were on you pretty good that night." He observed.

"Yeah, but honestly, I'd been crazy to be around all summer. They weren't far off."

"So you did need a good shag?" Harry smirked.

"Maybe, I was so tense sometimes…I wanted to just scream as loud as I could to relieve it…So, yeah, I guess I did, but it wasn't the right time yet. We'd have ruined everything if we shagged that night." She reflected thoughtfully.

Harry kissed her forehead lightly. "We did fine. We figured it out in our own time."

_The memory continued on with Ginny returning from another dance with Harry._

"_So now you've danced with mister cute bum three times, is there an attraction there?" Sandy questioned Ginny upon her return._

"_Oh yeah, no doubt about that…" Ginny mumbled._

"_Then the question becomes…does our favorite wacko go for the new wizard with the cute bum, or the anonymous wizard that has kept our young friend distracted for the last six months?" Melinda tossed the question out to the table at large._

"_Please, stop," Ginny protested. "Just let me get through tonight." She quickly finished off another glass of wine and returned to the dance floor to find Harry. An older salesman intercepted her. _

_The girls at the table continued discussing their friend._

"_I think she should grab up the new guy," Mindy decided._

"_Me too," Wendy and Sandy agreed in unison._

"_I don't think so. Yeah, mister cute bum is nice, but the other wizard has stuck with her, as far as we know. They have history…and if she didn't love the bloke she wouldn't be so off kilter would she?" Angela cast her dissenting opinion._

Can we possibly find a way to address me other than 'mister cute bum'?" real Harry groused.

"It fits…" live Ginny giggled, "…you know half the girls still call you that."

"Please tell me you're kidding,"

"Sorry, no can do. You are still known as MCB in certain locker room moments." Ginny laughed.

"Ugghh…"

_In the mean time, Harry was supporting a now very inebriated Ginny as they danced. Ginny finally brought Harry over to the table._

"_Ginny who's this…?" Sandra asked, studying Harry. "Oh my… are you… you're Harry Potter aren't you?"_

"_Right you are Sandy," Ginny slurred. "Everyone this is the one and only, world famous, Harry Potter. He's a good dancer and a great kisser, and oh Merlin can he shag."_

_The Harpies all stared at Ginny open mouthed._

"_Weasley how did you snatch him up?" Melinda asked._

"_Whoa girl, what about the boyfriend-ex-boyfriend-almost-fiancé or whatever it is you have on the line waiting?" chided Angela. "What happens to that poor bloke when he finds out you snagged Harry Potter tonight?"_

"_No, no you silly girls, this IS the boyfriend-ex-boyfriend-lover-chosen-one-most-expert-kisser-person-I've-been-dating-well-was-dating,-until-he-asked-me-to-marry-him,-but-I-couldn't-and-we-split-up-and-now-maybe-getting-back-together-and-gods-he-can-kiss," she said in one long breath. "Whew I need a drink." She grabbed a drink off the table and downed it in one shot._

"_Uh, yeah so hi, I'm Harry." _

Real Harry chuckled at the introduction. "That was too funny."

Ginny sniggered right along with him as she too watched the memory. "I know."

"_Weasley, you've been stringing along Harry bloody Potter? What the hell were you thinking turning him down! We were right; you are the psycho, redhead, wacko," Sandra half screamed. "You had the most sought after bachelor, in all the wizarding world, propose to you and you turned him down?"_

"_Mental case you redheads are," Melinda added. "Harry any one of us will be glad to marry you. Right girls?" she joked. Each girl at the table nodded yes._

"_Wait…Ginny what did you say about shagging him?" Angela remembered._

"_Ohh, yeah. When he really gets going he holds my bum with his left hand, and then uses his right leg to…" Memory Harry captured her lips in a kiss to stop the explanation._

"_Dear, they don't need to know…" Harry was interrupted by the table occupants._

"_WAIT, we want to know, we do," the girls exclaimed frantically._

"_Okay Harry, if you're not engaged let us help you out. What's the preference then, blonde, brunette, tall, short, leg man, will one of us do?" questioned Wendy._

"_Sorry ladies, my preference is for redheads, this one in particular. Well, nice to meet you all. I better get her put down for the night." Ginny rested her head on his shoulder, and Harry led her from the table._

"_So…she's in love with Harry Potter," Melinda said lowly._

"_No wonder she's been fretting over her relationship so much," Sandy added._

_Angela nodded her head before speaking, "There's got to be a lot going on there…I mean he was on the run and had to face down You-Know-Who, and there's the fame thing, and she's still so young."_

_Sandy weighed in next, "He loves her too…Did you see him? How he was so careful with her." The other girls nodded._

"_So the legend of Harry Potter grows, famous, quidditch player, cute bum, Boy-Who-Lived…and now, nice bloke too…How he isn't conceited I'll never know." Melinda said with respect._

_Angela spoke up next, "And he waited for her to decide…he could have had any witch and he stuck by her…Think she knows how lucky she is?"_

"_I think she does," Mindy commented, "but the five of us need to make sure she works it out with him. She's a good kid, she deserves to be happy."_

"_Operation 'Get Ginny Married to Mister Cute Bum' is now underway," Angela toasted._

"_Agreed!" the girls all drank to the promise._

A white fog rolled in, obscuring the last bits of the memory, leaving real life Harry and Ginny standing by the counter.

"So they made a pact," Ginny remarked.

Harry squeezed her hand before replying, "Evidently they did. Whose memory do you think it was?"

"Angela I think, or maybe Sandy I was closest to them…" Ginny paused, mulling over her recollections of that fall and the next spring. "They did too, now that I think about it…the five of them were so supportive of me, and of you…Even today, any one of those women would do anything for you. You won them over in the span of five minutes that night."

"You won me over after one kiss." Harry murmured, before trailing kisses across her cheek and down her jaw line. "I love you Ginevra Potter."

"Love you too…Mister Cute Bum."

Harry swatted her behind before she could scoot away from him.

"I'm in the mood, let's do another one." Unlike Harry, Ginny didn't peruse each bottle; she plucked one from the box without any hesitation whatsoever. "Number five."

**Bottle Five**

The new memory was added to the swirling mist in the carved stone bowl and soon the couple was deposited into the next memory.

Ginny stumbled on the rough stone floors of what they both knew to be Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Harry barely caught her before she sprawled on the floor.

"Okay there?"

"Yeah, so Hogwarts…" Ginny answered.

_The memory began with its owner walking down an empty corridor. The quiet was shattered when a large group of students came bursting through a nearby classroom door, chattering about their charms lesson. A fifth-year Ginny was among them talking animatedly with Luna. The large group thinned as students branched off down different corridors. The memory seemed to come from a person that was quite a bit shorter than the students._

_Something caught Ginny's eye and she gave Luna a quick hug before trotting down a side hall. At the end of the hallway ribbons of multicolored light cascaded through a large stained glass window. The window sill was quite deep, and sitting inside the sill, with his knees tucked to his chest and his head down was a sixth-year Harry._

_Ginny approached quietly. "Hey…you alright?"_

_Harry's tired, bloodshot eyes focused on Ginny and he shrugged his indifference. Ginny, in response, dropped her bag and jumped into the window sill with him, her back to the other side, facing him cross legged. She patted down the front of her skirt to keep her modesty, and began to speak._

_The memory faded out._

"That's it?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know, Gin," Harry replied.

_Soon the white memory swirled again and the viewpoint changed to the other side of the hall as Professor Flitwick returned to the hallway from the opposite direction. Ginny's voice could now be heard._

"…_said it was fair, Harry. We both know it isn't."_

"_You'd be better off with someone else," Harry muttered._

"No, I'm better off with you. And you know it." Ginny retorted. Ginny had scooted closer and was now on her knees in front of Harry, talking to him softly. Red, green and gold swatches of sunlight covered the pair.

_Harry swallowed thickly. "Ginny…I'll…I'll have to…" he stopped, not able to finish the sentence._

"_I know his death is tearing you apart Harry, please let me help." Ginny slid her fingers through his messy hair, slowly massaging his scalp as she did so. He leaned into her touch._

"_In the end…Do you know what this will come down to? How much do you know?" Harry questioned._

"_Well, I don't 'know' anything, but I can guess. You've been having private lessons with Dumbledore all year, and it's a safe bet it's not for tea tasting. So either he's giving you information or he's teaching you spells. In either case we both know why." Ginny stopped to gauge Harry's reaction. When he stayed silent she continued on, "And I know, or I think, that in the end it will be you against Voldemort. You're the only one to ever get away from him, and you've done it several times." She paused again, and continued after appraising Harry's reactions. "At the ministry last year we all went to stop his Death Eaters from getting a prophesy, which had your name on it…"_

_Harry blinked at her, but not in surprise. He bowed his head down again._

"_Judging from your reaction, I'll guess I'm pretty close," she said rubbing the back of his neck to soothe him._

"_Why are you staying then? Why stay, when in the end I'll snuff it?"_

"_Why stay? You arse…because I for one, think you can beat him. Because it's time the good guys won." She tilted his head up to hers. She took a moment and brushed the tip of her nose across his. "Because you are too important to me for me just to let you go." She brushed her nose to his again._

"_I'll have to go…"_

"_Shhhh," she stopped him. "I don't know what is planned, but I know you'll be a big part of it. Don't tell me, it'll be easier on you that way."_

"_I…I don't know if I can do it," his voice broke as he said the words._

"_Harry, you…can…do…it." she whispered softly and then leaned up, placing a gentle kiss to the lightning shaped scar on his forehead._

_He blinked rapidly again, unsure of what to do next._

_Ginny took away the choice when she placed a second longer kiss to his scar. "I believe in you."_

_Harry nodded, and leaned forward into Ginny's chest. She in turn stroked his hair, murmuring "shhhh, it's okay, everything will work out, I'll be here any time you need me, shhhh" over and over to comfort him._

_Ginny held her boyfriend tightly as the last of the memory trailed away._

"That was two days before we buried him," Harry sighed.

"Two days before you broke my heart," Ginny mumbled.

"Two days before I broke my own…" Harry finished.

Ginny shuffled her feet and tilted her face up to look directly into Harry's deep green eyes. "I understood, I truly did, but it hurt so much. I tried to be strong, but once I got home, I cried for days. Not because I thought you didn't care for me, but because I didn't know if we'd ever get another chance."

"Yeah…we got our chance…" Harry smiled.

"And we made the most of it too…" Ginny said with a bit of pride in her voice, while stealing a quick glance at the rings on her fourth finger.

"And we're not done yet either." Harry smiled. "Not even close."

"I know," Ginny answered her face and tone signaling just how happy she was with her life.

Harry collected the silvery strands, twirling his wand across the surface of the mist in the small stone pensieve. He lifted his wand tip, depositing the strand back into bottle five. Ginny pulled the stopper on the next one and the glowing threadlike strand dropped into the bowl.

"Number nineteen," Ginny said, turning the bottle so Harry could see the number printed on it. Without waiting for him Ginny leaned into the pensieve and slid into the memory.

**Bottle Nineteen**

Harry and Ginny landed dead center of the Hogwarts quidditch pitch.

_The Gryffindor team was shouting in joy, laughing and hugging each other. Oliver Wood stood to the side hugging the giant silver Quidditch Cup as if it gave him life itself, tears running down his cheeks._

_The point of view swung around to the mass of students cheering and the owner of the memory piled headlong into the fray, engulfing a young Harry Potter in a huge hug. The three Chasers, Alicia, Angelina and Katie were all shouting 'We won the cup!" repeatedly._

"Third year, beat Slytherin by pulling the snitch right out from under Malfoy's nose to win the cup." Grown up Harry remembered fondly.

"The whole school was on Gryffindor's side that game. It was crazy," Ginny commented.

_The crowd of people began to herd the team towards the gates of the pitch. Off to the side a twelve year old Ginny watched silently, looking wistfully at Harry as he was carried off the field. The memory shifted and focused on the younger girl._

"_What's up squirt?" Katie Bell asked Ginny. _

"_Only Gred and Forge can call me that!" she huffed._

"_Hey, don't snap…Alicia, Angelina and I have called you that all year." Katie rested a reassuring hand on young Ginny's shoulder. "Wanna talk?" The rest of the students continued up the hill towards the school, leaving Katie and Ginny alone._

"_I dunno," Ginny replied, kicking the grass with her toes._

"_Look, Ginny, everyone in three houses is cheering the win, except for you. You're standing over here without a smile." The older girl observed. "So, what's up?"_

_Ginny cast a mournful gaze to the crowd of students. "He doesn't know I exist."_

"_Who?" Katie followed Ginny's stare. "Ohhh, so Harry's the lucky boy…"_

"_He's so perfect…"_

"_Who, Harry? He's nice enough, but I don't think you can say perfect." Katie corrected her._

"_Ohhh, but he is…Do you think he'll ever notice short, skinny Ginny Weasley?" Ginny asked shyly._

"_Ginny," Katie said softly, giving the smaller girl a hug, "I know you don't think it, but one day you're going to grow up…and out." Katie smiled. "And when that time comes, the blokes will be lined up to date you. And when that happens, if Harry doesn't notice, then you'll be better off without him."_

"_You think so?" Ginny replied, a small smile gracing her lips._

The memory faded to white mist.

"We looked so young," Harry commented.

"Hard to believe we were ever so small, isn't it?" Ginny said in wonder.

"I didn't realize you knew Katie that well back then."

"Yeah, I did…and Angelina and Alicia too, 'cause they all hung out with the twins." She explained

The white fog of the memory swirled a second time around the fully grown couple before it calmed, leaving the next portion of the memory in its wake. Entering into the memory was completely unsettling. Unlike all the other memories, this one was not set in a castle, or other building. Harry and Ginny floated in the bright sunshine, nearly one hundred feet above the Hogwarts quidditch pitch.

_Scarlet and gold blurs raced up and down the pitch, pulling Harry and Ginny along with them. The memory was moving in excess of fifty miles an hour or so. It suddenly stopped and a quaffle came into view, Katie appeared and made a perfect fingertip pass to Ginny, who feinted twice, barrel rolled and barely squeaked the quaffle past Ron and through the leftmost ring. _

"_OW!" Harry yelped from where he was hovering on his broom another thirty or so feet above the rest of the team. He rubbed the welt on the back of his head, and continued tracking Ginny across the pitch with his eyes._

Live Harry rubbed the same spot on his head. Ginny smirked at his reaction.

_Ginny turned to cast a quick glance at him as she flew past Katie. "That's the third bludger he's taken today," she muttered. "What's got him all bothered anyway?" she continued, not noticing him look away as soon as he thought she might look at him._

"_Can't imagine," Katie said in feigned ignorance._

_Another play was called and the chasers again flew a tight diamond formation before breaking into the offensive play. A spectacular no-look pass from Ginny to Katie caught both the other chasers and Ron by surprise. Katie missed the shot as she was recovering from the unexpected pass, but it also had moved Ron completely off station leaving the right hoop wide open._

"_Ginny! Katie! I want to…" Harry's instructions stopped when he flew headlong into Jimmy Cootes, getting cuffed with the beaters bat in the process. "Bloody hell," He groused, now rubbing the fast forming bruise on his forearm._

"Damn, that was a sweet pass," live Ginny remarked with pride.

"It was…I was a goner, look at me. Following you around, like a little lost puppy," he whispered.

"Yeah, you were kind of cute, still are." She ruffled his already messy black hair in affection.

"_Watch it Harry, you're flying like a first year today. What's got your knickers in a twist." Ron shouted._

_Harry flew closer to Ginny and Katie. "Ginny, can you try to do that again?" he asked excitedly._

"_I'll do better than try…I know I can do it again. I stayed up late all last week working on it. I can make it nineteen times out of twenty, if Katie can grab it." Ginny said with such assurance that nobody doubted the redheaded witch._

"_Ok, again then." Harry called out and the two girls ran the play over, Ginny indeed performed another perfect no-look pass to Katie._

_Ginny hovered next to Katie after the play. Harry looked towards Ginny, but shifted his gaze before she noticed. In his distraction, he never noticed Demelza tossing the quaffle to him and it hit him squarely in the stomach._

"_What in Merlin's name is going on with him," Ginny wondered aloud. "He's never this distracted during practice."_

"_He has been lately, or haven't you noticed?" Katie questioned._

"_He has? Why?"_

"_Ginny, after all this time, are you not seeing it?" Katie asked incredulously. Ginny stared blankly at the older witch. "You don't, do you?"_

"_I don't what?"_

"_Ever since you and Dean broke up…He watches you constantly." _

"_Really? Ohhh, no he doesn't." Ginny passed the observation off with a wave of her hand._

"_Ginny, how many bludgers to the head is the poor boy going to take before you figure it out? He's distracted, because he's watching you the whole practice." Katie smiled._

_Ginny returned the smile before shifting quickly on her broom to check out Harry. He snapped his head away from them when he recognized that Ginny was going to see him staring at her. Ginny grinned from ear to ear. "He is, isn't he?"_

"_Oh yes, I believe our team captain fancies one of his chasers." Katie stated approvingly._

_Ginny caught him looking towards her again, blushed just a touch, and then she turned to face Katie. "He's watching me right now, isn't he?"_

"_You've got him Ginny." Katie gave Ginny's thigh a quick tweak. "Remember when you asked me if I ever thought he would notice short, skinny Ginny __Weasley__?" Ginny nodded. "Well, he never did, but I can guarantee you that he's noticed smart, funny, pretty Ginny Weasley. And, as a lot more than just Ron's sister."_

"_I hope he does something about it soon, or he'll end up in the hospital wing every practice." Ginny laughed._

The memory faded away, leaving the couple standing by the counter.

"I can't believe it took you another four weeks to do something about it!" Ginny mock fumed.

"All good things come to those who wait…" Harry teased.

"You're lucky Katie helped you out there. Eleven other boys asked me out or to study in those four weeks. And I turned them all down, waiting for you to muck up the Gryffindor courage to act." Ginny shook her head at the recollection.

"But I did finally," Harry countered.

Ginny pulled him into an enthusiastic kiss. "Yes you did." He didn't have time to answer as once again her lips were firmly planted to his. The kissing continued as Ginny pushed Harry towards the large couch. She pushed him down and crawled on top of him, never breaking the kisses. The couple spent the remainder of the afternoon on the couch, lost in each other.


	4. Chapter 4 Bottles 31, 14, 22

**Bottles Thirty-One, Fourteen, and Twenty-Two**

Ginny peeked an eye open, awakening from her nap, towards the windows across the room. The sun was just starting its slow descent towards the horizon; slight bands of yellow, orange and purple tinted clouds slid by lazily. The clear blue water of Little Sound rolled gently, rocking the few boats anchored in the small inlet to and fro, hardly upsetting the slack anchor lines keeping the boats from wandering out to sea on their own.

'I need at least two or three more afternoons like this,' she thought happily. She shifted so she was more laying on her side than on her stomach, and the cushion beneath her moved. She sighed contentedly into her very warm, muscular, green eyed, Harry-shaped cushion.

"Huh? Oh, whatcha doin' Gin?" he asked drowsily.

"Looking out over the sound," she answered, lifting herself up to a sitting position and slipping under his legs. He let his calves settle gently across her thighs. Ginny pulled her t-shirt back down to cover her firm stomach.

"How long did we nap?" Harry's voice was still raspy from sleep, and he shook his hair out as he too sat up. "Didn't think we'd just fall asleep, even after the snogging. I guess this sofa is more comfortable than we thought." Ginny's stomach gurgled causing Harry to shift his eyes to hers, understanding that her very Weasley appetite was going to need attention soon.

"Harry, why don't we walk down the beach to that restaurant we saw on the way here?"

"The one with the deck overlooking the water?" She nodded. "Okay, it was pretty casual so we don't need to change…let's go." He stood from the sofa and held a hand out for Ginny. She quickly grasped his hand, using it to help her pull up from the sofa.

As the couple strolled along the nearly deserted beach the sun sank lower in the sky. The bright yellows and oranges of the sky now melted into more subdued hues of magenta and gold, still with tinges of purple along the lower portions of the clouds. The colors reflected off the azure sea creating a similar but darker version of the sunset across the waters of Little Sound.

A leisurely dinner, enjoyed as the sun finished its journey below the horizon, allowed the couple to unwind. The stress not coming from their first day on Grand Cayman, but from the business of life left behind in England. The troubles of training, both quidditch and Auror, lay forgotten near the remains of dinner, dessert and the last few drops of wine left in an otherwise empty bottle.

With dinner complete Ginny grabbed the bill from Harry's hand, all but daring him to comment. Harry smiled at her, loving the streak of independence within her. After paying the bill Ginny led Harry back along the darkened shore, making sure she received at least one small kiss every hundred yards or so as they walked. Harry, completely relaxed, made sure to honor her desires, not that he held one bit of hesitation where kissing Ginny was concerned. No he never hesitated when it came to kissing her, mostly because after one year, kissing Ginny was still the most enjoyable thing he'd ever done. Sure, they were long past kissing in their relationship, but kissing to Harry was still the sweetest expression of love he'd ever known.

Ginny led him through the break in the dunes and up the stone path to the French doors of the beach house. Once inside she placed a fuller kiss to her husband's lips before saying, "Let's do a few more bottles before bed."

Harry smiled, knowing she was asking more for him than she was for her. Ginny wasted no time in pulling three bottles from the small wooden box. Harry looked over her shoulder at the selections, bottles thirty-one, fourteen and twenty-two now rested on the counter waiting to be viewed.

**Bottle Thirty-One**

Harry let the contents of bottle thirty-one slide from the bottle into the stone bowl. He stirred the silvery liquid-like substance in the pensieve with his wand's tip. When he was satisfied that the memory was ready for viewing he grasped Ginny's hand and dipped his face into the swirling contents of the bowl.

Harry appeared in the memory with Ginny right beside him.

_A large group of familiar friends and family milled about the back yard of the Burrow. Guests wandered from the tables laden with food outside into the large tent, where music was playing loudly, or towards the pond where a campfire crackled happily. The party of the night Harry and Ron made the Cannons was still fresh in both Harry and Ginny's minds._

"Cannons party," Harry offered, certain he was right.

"Yes," Ginny agreed without hesitating.

_The scene continued to unfold around them finally centering on a table inside the tent. Percy sat alone, watching Ginny and Harry dancing closely, cradling baby Teddy between them. The song ended and after the last strains of music faded away Harry separated from Ginny and took Teddy with him out to the yard. In the background George could be heard hollering that the fireworks were about to begin. Ginny, grabbing a butterbeer off the bar as she passed, sat down across from her older brother._

"_Hello Ginevra," Percy offered his hand._

"_Hello Percival," Ginny replied in a falsely deep and pretentious voice__, using a formal version of his name never given to him._

_Percy chuckled__. "You know that's not my name," he said waggling a finger disapprovingly at her. "But I suppose, I had that coming…it's hard to know how to act around everyone."_

_Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "So stop acting…be yourself," she advised._

"_I'm not sure anyone wants to be near the real me."_

"_Yeah, you do have your work cut out for you. But try to stop being who you think we all expect you to be and just be Percy. Who knows, people might like Percy a lot more than they like __Percy Ignatius__ Weasley assistant to whoever it is you report to."_

"_George…I report to George. I've been helping at the shop lately. He needs help and Merlin knows I need to, as he says, 'get the corncob out of my arse' so we've been working together on some things." He smiled._

"_Good for you Percy, I think it will do you good."_

"_I hope so too. Things with Penelope are done for good…I ruined it. I've tried to get back in her good graces but she won't have it." He picked at a loose splinter on the picnic table. "She'll never forgive me." Harry walked past on his way to meet Seamus Finnegan. "I doubt he'll forgive me either." Percy nodded in Harry's direction._

"_Harry and I…we almost didn't make it. Did you know that?" Ginny said softly, watching Harry talk to a group of school friends._

"_I heard rumblings, but…"_

"_He hid from us, you didn't know? He told us he was going to stay at Grimmauld Place but it was hexed so bad he couldn't get in. He hid up at the school for days until Mum threatened him, made him come here._

"_But he'd just conquered Vol…You-Know-Who!" Percy said in surprise._

"_Yes, and he felt like he was all alone. See, he wanted to be with family, but his is all dead. And he didn't think he should be with us because he felt guilty about Fred, and I…I said I hated him."_

_Ginny ran her hand through her hair and sighed before continuing. "He came though, and I hexed him when he arrived, and twice more…Then we had the biggest row, a full-out Weasley tempered, Potter stubborn, knock down, drag out, row that ended in a fight in the kitchen."_

_Percy nodded paying rapt attention to his younger sister. "I didn't know that."_

"_After that we talked, and began to forgive each other, but mostly we listened to each other and cut each other a break. He and I went through every day, every memory of the last year. We fought, and cried, got mad and comforted each other…but mostly we learned that we didn't have to agree as long as we understood." Ginny finished her sage advice by taking a sip of her butterbeer._

_In the background the first launches of fireworks could be heard and the explosions shook the tent._

"_So I should just walk up to him and face him?" Percy asked timidly. "But he's the Boy-Who…"_

"_Percy…" Ginny cut him off. "Didn't you hear anything we just talked about? Sure to the world he's a famous hero, but to me, and Mum and Dad, and Ron…he's Harry." She stood up and squeezed his arm affectionately. "He's a seventeen year old boy…Talk to him like he's a person and not a bloody hero, you might be surprised to find out that he's a pretty nice bloke."_

_Percy headed off to the garden and stopped to talk to Harry._

_The memory shifted and Percy's voice washed into the memory, added, they assumed, at the time he put the memory in the bottle. "Thank you Ginny, without your advice I never would have seen Harry for the great man he is. Not great for what he's done, but great because he's a man that makes you happy. Congratulations you two. I love you both." _

Harry spoke first. "So the wizarding world owes you a debt of gratitude for getting Percy to pull his head out of his…"

"Harry!" Ginny interrupted him. "Yeah, Percy and I talked quite a bit after that night. Not just about people or him, but about everything. The first summer and fall when I was with the Harpies, he learned to score the games just so when he saw me he could talk to me about my job."

"Really?" Now it was Harry's turn to be surprised. "I never would have guessed."

Ginny furrowed her brow in heavy thought. "You know, I think you and Percy may be more alike than any other two people in the family."

"Me…and Percy?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, both of you hide things. Not bad things mind you, but like his knowing how to score a quidditch match, and you hiding your charity work…Sometimes I think there isn't anyone on earth that knows all your secrets, or his."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, and looked down into Ginny's eyes to see if she was having him on. What he saw, was a woman who not only had the measure of himself, but of her most misunderstood brother as well. "I think you're right."

Ginny pulled Harry into a hug. "Next one then?" she offered.

"Sure," Harry agreed. Ginny siphoned Percy's contribution back to its bottle and Harry poured the next memory into the bowl. Reflections of light danced across their faces in a shimmering pattern that matched the small churning waves in the pensieve. They held hands and leaned in together, letting the memory pull them in.

**Bottle Fourteen**

When the last of the mist faded Harry and Ginny were left standing in front of a plum colored door, set into a cut stone wall, the flagstone stoop was large enough to let them stand comfortably, but wasn't big enough that one could call it a front porch..

_A man's voice, muttering from behind them, made them turn. Memory Harry, looking very close to his current age, walked right between them cradling his bloody right hand protectively in his swollen left hand. Harry in the memory, wincing in pain, raised his less battered left hand and knocked on the door softly. _

"_Who is it?" a cautious female voice answered._

"_Harry…Harry Potter," he replied._

"_Right, and I'm the Queen of England. Now who are you really?"_

"_Look, I really am, my hands __hurt__ like hell…George Weasley told me to come see you," Harry said impatiently._

"_George sent you?" the door peeked open. Behind the door a wisp of blond hair and blue eyes came into view through the three inch opening. "Well I'll be…" The door opened and an older blond woman invited Harry in._

Live Harry and Ginny followed.

"So this is…" Ginny said her voice trailing off.

"The first time I ever met Meredith," he replied. Ginny nodded her understanding.

"_So Mister Potter, why does the most famous wizard in Britain need a discreet healer?"_

"_Because I'm the most famous wizard in Britain," he winced as he spoke. Meredith was gently prodding the back of his right hand with the tip of her wand. He twitched again when she rotated his wrist._

"_That hurt?" she inquired. "What about this," she pressed her thumb into the back of his hand in a few places. He nodded again with a grimace._

"_So?"_

"_Well Mister Potter," she started to answer._

"_Please, just Harry, okay?"_

"_Sure, Harry…You've broken three knuckles, two fingers and at least four metacarpus' in your right hand. And you ruptured three tendons as well." She peered at him suspiciously. She gently took his left hand and began to examine it in the same fashion as the first. He flinched at her touch twice as she pressed at different parts of his left hand. She moved her gaze from his hand to his eyes. "Your left hand has a sprained thumb and wrist, and two broken knuckles."_

"_I assumed I did something to them, they hurt like hell," Harry said ruefully._

"_So, you're supposedly the most powerful wizard in Britain and you used your hands to beat the hell out of someone, instead of using magic?"_

"_Do you need to know that to heal me?" Harry asked in frustration._

Ginny watching the memory shifted uncomfortably, her face screwed up in consternation. Harry watched her as she reacted to the scene unfolding before them, unsure of what she might or might not say about it.

"_Yes," she replied in a matter of fact tone. "Knowing how an injury happened makes it easier for me to diagnose it. And I can do a better job of healing the injury."_

"_How?" Harry questioned, surprised at the answer._

"_Well, if you take a piece of parchment, and crumple it all up. What happens if you just grab a corner of it to open it up?"_

"_It rips a little."_

"_Exactly, you have to find __out__ how the paper was crumpled to flatten it back out. Bones are the same way. Whoever it was you pummeled, you did it in anger or hatred. There was passion behind it." Meredith spoke evenly, knowing she was correct._

"So this was after you beat the crap out of Dean?" Ginny asked in a less than happy tone. "He didn't deserve it Harry."

"We've been over this. I wasn't exactly thinking straight that summer. And what he did wasn't right." Harry defended himself.

"That's nothing more than a cop-out Harry, and you know it." Ginny's voice got stronger as they discussed the incident.

"I remember you thanking me for it when he came to apologize after ratting you out to Rita." Harry spat back.

"Let's just finish getting though this without fighting over it," Ginny proposed, not acknowledging the fact that she had indeed done just that.

_Meredith in the memory continued on with her conclusions regarding Harry's injuries. "I know it was done with emotion, because if you want to incapacitate someone you go for their gut or their neck. Both are soft tissue areas that don't injure the attacker's hands. Faces, on the other hand, can cause injury to the hand of the assailant. Almost as much damage is done to the hand as is done to the face." She studied Harry's reactions to her accusations._

"_It was, he'd done something horrible to my girl…to a friend." Harry replied quietly._

_Meredith siphoned the blood from his hands with her wand and began the process of setting the broken bones and healing the fractures. "So you love her, and he did something to hurt her?"_

"_He did, it wasn't physical, he went to a reporter about…" he didn't finish the sentence._

"_The story from the prophet, about…Ginny… her name was Ginny right? So you evened up the score on him?" Meredith pieced the story together._

"_She's pretty terrific…well, she's all the way terrific." Harry smiled. "Smart, brave, fun to be with…She's a great person, she didn't deserve to have her personal life splashed across the newspapers."_

"_So even though you've broken up with her, you still love her." Meredith guessed. When Harry didn't correct her she began to cast the healing spells on his left hand._

"_Love and hate, no…never hate. Love and…I don't know the word to use. I do still love her, but right now I'm getting pushed aside."_

"_I see. Well, you're all fixed up there Harry Potter." She let go of his left hand. "Was it worth it? Beating that poor guy to a pulp, did it make you feel better?" _

"_So far it has."_

"_What do you think Ginny would say about it?"_

"_Not sure. I think she would have hexed him, and it would have been a bad one too. But hitting him, hurting him physically vented the anger better," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders._

"_You've started down a road here Harry, and it's not necessarily the right road to go down. You need to step back and decide how you want to manage the rest of your life. This time you got away with it. That may not always be the case."  
_

"_How do you know I got away with it?"  
_

"_Simple, seeing the injuries to your hands, I can only imagine what the poor guy ended up like. I'm guessing severe facial trauma, broken bones, possible eye and dental damage." She sighed heavily. "And, I expect that he'll be scared of you the rest of his life. He'll not say a word about what happened."_

Ginny seethed. "She was spot on. Did you know Dean spent nearly a thousand Galleons on dental care?"

"Aw hell Ginny, I've already apologized to him. You know that. And I paid his bills, all of them. So technically I paid for the dental surgery." Harry said shortly.

"I'm sure that makes you feel better," Ginny snipped. "And he still won't come in the same room as you. He even left the Ministry sponsored art show. When you came into the hall he left, even though it was some of his work on display."

"I know that!" Harry responded loudly. "I'm not the one that went to Rita, he was. If he hadn't drug your name through the mud, I never would've gone after him. We went over all this months and months ago! Why are you bringing it up again? He made his choices. If he regrets them now, then so be it. I'm done feeling guilty about it."

"Fine!" Ginny said quickly wanting the conversation to end prior to it turning into a full fledged row.

"Yeah, it is fine!" he challenged her. He breathed out a big sigh and regained his composure before completing his thoughts on the subject. Softly he spoke. "Didn't we hash all this out and make peace with Dean last February? I think you need to remember who stuck up for you, and who trashed your reputation in front of the whole magical world, who held you as you cried...and who you married…" When he finished his small speech he faced the memory, conspicuously making sure he was looking away from Ginny.

_In the background, the memory played out with Meredith continuing to talk to Harry. "You didn't answer my question Harry."_

"_I said she'd hex him." _

"_I asked what she would think about you attacking her former boyfriend. You didn't answer." _

_Harry pondered the question, staring at the floor as he mulled over his answer. "Depends on her mood. If she's pissed off she'll be happy I did it. If she feels sorry for him she'll be mad at me for doing it… But, even when she's completely honked off about something, she'll hex, but nothing that will do permanent damage." He looked up. "She'll probably hate me for doing this, something else I've managed to screw up."_

"_She won't hate you if she loves you." Meredith assured him._

"_I'm not sure she still does…I hope so…I hope she'll come back to me when she's ready."_

"_Then you need to make sure you're a person she wants to come back to. Stop being a vigilante, be the person who does what is right…And stop the drinking," she warned._

"_H-H-How did you know?" Harry asked in shock._

"_It's in your blood. I could tell when I ran one of my diagnostic spells. I'd say less than twelve hours ago you were drunk," she challenged him. "Tell me I'm wrong."_

_Harry hung his head. "You're not wrong." _

Real Ginny shuffled her feet and turned towards Harry. "So…she tried to set you straight," Ginny commented in a voice that was decidedly softer than was used earlier. "That summer, when we were apart, did you drink as much as she implied?" She touched his elbow. Harry continued to resist her advances and kept staring at the memory.

Ginny swallowed thickly and slid her hand from his elbow to his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Harry, I'm sorry. You did what you thought you had to do, and while I don't care for how it all worked out now, at the time…well, he was wrong, and you defended my honor..."

Harry continued to avoid her gaze, but his resolve wavered when she slid in front of him and tentatively kissed his neck. "I was out of line Harry…I'm sorry"

"You forgot that I lost him as a friend too," he whispered. "If he would've just kept his flapper shut…" Harry gave in and placed his hands on her slim waist. "Dean and I, we'd always been friends…until he went to Rita."

"Harry, I really am sorry I lost it like that." Ginny murmured into his chest, letting him comfort her again as the last bit of the scene played out.

_In the memory Harry raised his head before asking the next question. "You're not going to report this, are you?"_

"_If I went to the Ministry every time I treated suspicious injuries I would never get another patient. Besides, I've treated Fred and," she paused to sigh, "well Fred and George for years. If I reported everything they did, or got into...Merlin, I'd have spent all my time at the ministry filling out reports." She smiled fondly._

"_I can only imagine. I know half the stuff in the basement of that shop is restricted or downright illegal," Harry agreed._

"_Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me." She shook his hand gently. "Bye Harry. Be careful with your hands for a few days. Flex your fingers often to keep them limber while the tendons heal the rest of the way. Get yourself sorted out, stop getting drunk, make sure when she comes back that you're a person she'll want to be with…And don't take this wrong, but try not to come by again for a while." She grinned at him._

"_I'll try. Thanks Meredith."_

The room vanished, engulfed in the white fog that signified the memory was changing again. The fog swirled about them, obscuring their feet, arms and legs making the two of them swear they'd been placed in the center of a large white cloud. The misty vapor dissipated, leaving the pair in the carriage house loft.

_Harry lay in bed unconscious, Meredith stood at his bedside, her gloved hands tilting his head back and administering a potion to him. He gagged slightly and she reactively stroked his throat to help his stilled body accept the potion. _

_Ginny walked into the small spare room, Harry's old Cannons practice jersey draped loosely over her slim frame, just under the hem of the oversize shirt a pair of worn cotton sleep shorts peeked out. _

"_Welcome back." Meredith smiled. Ginny nodded, silently recognizing the greeting for what it truly was, a peace offering of sorts._

_Ginny curled up in the other arm chair feeling more at ease now that she was closer. "What curse did they get him with?" _

"_Sanguis Aconitum, it's a dreadfully potent poisoning curse. It poisons the victim's blood, then as the blood is pumped though the victim's body it poisons their heart, lungs, kidneys and eventually all their organs. Once the organs are infected, those organs will produce poisoned fluids as well, including tears, saliva, any fluid produced by the body." The healer explained._

_Ginny blinked at the harsh reality. "How much of him was poisoned, will he recover fully?"_

"_I'm not sure Ginny, he should, but it depends on several factors…"_

"Merlin I was so pale," Harry said, shocked a little by his appearance in this part of Meredith's recollections.

"You were, and so weak." Ginny agreed. In the background the two witches watching over Harry continued to talk about the curse and his condition.

"_Meredith, has Harry had to come to you often?" Ginny questioned sleepily, still curled up in the large overstuffed armchair. "I mean, you fixed him up on Valentines Day, but how did he know you?"_

"_Your brother George is a fairly frequent patient of mine, Lee Jordan too now that he helps at the joke shop as well. But it was George that sent Harry to me last summer." Ginny gave a half nod of acceptance to the vague answer. The older witch then changed the subject a little. "Does he still drink?"_

"_Who? Harry? We'll have wine with dinner sometimes, butterbeer, he'll drink some if we go out with friends and the others are drinking."_

"_But he doesn't drink with a…purpose?"_

"_No." Ginny replied._

"_Good. I'm happy that you're here for him. Things between you are good then?"_

"_Yes, we're engaged now. I love him so much. Sometimes, I think there isn't a way to love him more, and then it happens. Like tonight, I'd take this curse from him if I could."  
_

"_I __know,__ that's why I stayed." Meredith gave Ginny a brief smile. "Harry's told me you completed the entire Advanced Healer curriculum at Hogwarts, with four Outstanding N.E.W.T.s and five Exceeds Expectations." The tone of her praise let Ginny know just how impressed she was with the achievement. "But even with all that training, it's still hard when you're so close to the patient." Meredith wiped a damp cloth across Harry's forehead._

"_In class we discussed that, but here now, it's so much different. I couldn't think straight and all you really gave me was instructions on how to give the potions. I felt kind of silly," Ginny confessed._

"_That's how I know you love him." She turned away from Ginny and studied Harry's breathing patterns using a diagnostic charm. "When I first met him, he talked about you, and I knew right away he loved you. I'm pleased he got himself sorted out, and that the two of you ended up together."_

"_Will we be together? Will he pull through this?" Ginny asked nervously._

"_I don't know, but I can assure you he's fighting it hard. I can tell by his pulse and his elevated adrenaline levels." Meredith's gaze left Harry, focusing back on the redheaded woman beside her. "He's got a lot to fight for…get some sleep Ginny, please."_

_Ginny laid her head down on the arm of the chair and dozed off._

The scene swirled about them once again and when it cleared Harry and Ginny once again stood by the counter in the beach house. Night had fallen during their time reviewing the past and now the twinkling of the stars outside drew the couple closer to the windows. The clear night sky, a most intoxicating mix of dark blue and black, dusted with thousands of pinpoints of light, stretched out as far as the eye could see.

"So, we've seen Meredith's' now too." Harry said, siphoning the silvery wisp from the pensieve and sliding it back into its small glass home.

"That was another 'first time meeting' memory," Ginny commented thoughtfully. "There's been quite a few of them, haven't there?

"It does seem like it, but maybe it's because when you think about it, we've been apart more than we've been together. Even now, married, we see each other about four days a week on a good week and spend weeks apart at other times, depending on our schedules." Harry reasoned. "Our vacation here will only be a few days."

"Do you think its enough?"

"For now it seems to be. I'm happy, and I think you are…"

"I'm happy," Ginny confirmed. "Maybe this just suits us?"

"I guess it does. We have a lot of time before we decide to settle down." Harry pulled the stopper on the last of the three bottles selected for the night and tipped is glowing contents into the carved stone basin.

"Me first!" Ginny nudged Harry out from his place in front of the bowl, and before he could stop her she lowered her face to the swirling contents and fell into the memory.

**Bottle Twenty-Two**

Ginny landed with a dull thud in the midst of a knee high snow drift, losing her balance on the sloping ground. The night sky of the memory was all but identical to the clear starry night left behind on Grand Cayman Island. Harry landed next to her and lost his balance when he stepped on Ginny's foot.

"Ouch!" she complained rubbing her now sore foot.

"Sorry, you shouldn't be laying about in memories, you might get stepped on," he kidded her while offering a helping hand to her.

"Prat," she batted his hand away playfully standing up on her own. "Ohhhh," Ginny sighed in wonder as she recognized the setting.

_The clear night sky, filled with stars provided the perfect backdrop for the event. Fresh snow sparkled in the moonlight more brilliantly than if the entire area had been dusted with millions of miniature diamonds. Harry and Ginny stood on a raised platform, under a towering willow tree encrusted with layers of glittering icicles, reciting their marriage vows. _

_Harry's black dress robes fit impeccably, the perfect accompaniment to Ginny's spectacular silk wedding dress. Her bare shouldered dress swept gracefully from her hips, flowing out behind her in a moderately sized train. The small beaded details and cut of the dress complimented the fit young woman's physique. Her delicate veil, held by her Aunt's goblin made tiara, draped softly over her hair ending just above the small of her back. Ginny looked magnificent in every sense of the word._

"Merlin Gin…" Harry sighed. "Absolutely stunning, you, in that dress…" his voice trailed off in absent minded admiration for his wife.

"Yeah," Ginny replied thickly, fully appreciating just how beautifully the wedding turned out. The papers each declared it as a fairytale wedding, and at the time Ginny thought the description was a bit overdone, but seeing it now from a third party vantage point she thought that maybe, just maybe, 'fairytale wedding' didn't quite do it justice.

_The couple faced each other; Harry brought his hand up and gently slid the ring onto Ginny's finger. After a few words from Kingsley Shacklebolt the ceremony was completed and the rings glowed brightly before returning to a normal shine. Harry bent his head and kissed his wife for the first time. The kiss deepened, but was never pushed past the lines of decorum. The couple left the altar to the congratulations of their friends and family. _

_The wedding party separated and began the process of taking the post wedding pictures while the guests filed down the lane towards the reception tents standing proudly behind the ramshackle old Burrow. The memory followed along until it crossed the boundary to the Burrow's wards where the view changed away from the crowd and up the gentle hill. George sat down, with his back against Fred's headstone. _

"_Hi Gred," he said plainly now watching the wedding guests make their way into the tents. From his inside jacket pocket he slipped out a silver flask. "Cheers bro." He popped the cork and took a large swig._

"_Could you see it from up there?" George asked, knowing nobody could answer. "I guess I'm assuming a bit much aren't I, that you're up instead of down…" George rubbed his eyes. "Nah, you're on the up side. If we weren't made to cause trouble, why'd he give us a sense of humor, right?"_

_Silence._

"_So yeah, I'm sure you watched… With Sirius I suppose, right? And Lupin, and o' course Tonks…"_

"_Our sister really got the last laugh on us didn't she bro…After all the times we took the mickey out of her for saying she was goin' to marry Harry Potter…and she up and does it…" George grinned. "She always was the only one that could beat us."_

_More silence followed, the only sounds being the soft rustling of snow and ice covered branches creaking in the soft winter breeze._

"_You should have been 'ere Freddy…Hey! Get it 'ere', 'ear'…yeah its sad, three years and I'm still making the same old joke." He sighed fondly. "But as we learned, sometimes you stick with the classics…"_

_George focused on watching as Harry and Ginny apparated away after the pictures were completed. "I bet I know where they're going…Did you see her Fred? Did you see how gorgeous our little sister looked…Bloody beautiful."_

"_You know, after the chamber, she never let us call her 'princess' again did she. Any time we said it we got punched, or kneed…or hexed once she got a wand…" He gulped a quick shot of fire whiskey from the flask. "One of the worst days of our lives wasn't it…the day she learned her first hex. After that she was down right scary…but not tonight Fred. Wearing that dress, all made up and wearing the jewelry…she really is a princess and she played the part perfectly."_

_He took another swig. "She just kind of floated down the aisle didn't she? And that smile…Did you see her smile Fred, biggest one ever…Even bigger than the one in Egypt, when we all climbed that giant pyramid. We'd dared her she couldn't make it and not only did she make it, she beat us all to the top, and then raced us all down too. Beat us again. Up until tonight, that had been the biggest, but this topped it."_

"_Freddy, I don't even have the heart to prank her. It's all set up too. Lee and I worked out the charms and the time delay, and everything. All I have to do is put the charm on their suitcases and any time he touches her knickers they'll hear Mum screaming that she wants grandchildren as quick as possible. If that doesn't put the damper on our favorite hero I don't know what will. Maybe the itching powder…or the shrinking charm…No, better not use that one on him. If we damage Little Harry in any way Ginny'll string us up and use us for hex practice for a month."_

_George wiped away the lone tear that slipped down his left cheek, taking another sip of whiskey from the now half empty flask._

"_She was so effing pretty Fred, wish you were 'ere," he chuckled, "to see it. Little Gin-Gin will always be our princess won't she…I'm gonna start calling her that again…until the hexes hurt too much anyway." George stood up and the memory made its way towards the tent, fading out as they got closer until it was gone._

Present day Harry was now holding Ginny close to his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. He kissed the top of her head to comfort her.

"Why don't you go on to bed Harry, I think I want to be alone for a bit." She sniffed and wiped her nose on his T-shirt.

"Are you sure?" he said gently, frowning slightly at her using his favorite T-shirt as a tissue.

"I…I think maybe," she wiped her tear tracked cheeks on his shirt this time, "I'll try to write a quick note to George," she said with watery eyes.

"I think that's a great idea Gin." He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, let loose of her waist and allowed her to go into the spare room where she could write her brother in private.


	5. Chapter 5 Bottles 28, 3, 12

A/N – To everyone who's been reading.

First let us not ever forget that JKR created the Harry Potter universe we're all playing in. While it is nice of her to let us play, we all need to understand that everything she created or thought up is hers. Anything else, original characters, plotlines and places, belong to whoever wrote them. Always give credit where credit is due. Anyone on this site, either reading or writing owes JKR a debt of gratitude.

I apologize for the delay in posting but there was some issue with the site over the last few weeks. I could see my stories, but I could not edit them. I kept getting errored out. But the site admins found the problem and we're good to go again.

Also, I've tried seperate out the memories (italics) from the present day sections by adding an extra line with a '.' in it. Please let me know if this works better or not.

Enjoy the next three bottles…

seeker68

**Bottles Twenty Eight, Three and Twelve**

Harry stood at the open bedroom door surveying their bed, which lay awash in mid morning sunlight. The sheets and comforter were pulled from the foot of the bed, wrinkled and twisted in a heap. He knew somewhere in the mass of bedding Ginny lay contentedly asleep.

The pile of bedding moved slightly, but the only sign of the young redheaded woman asleep under the pile of bedding was the small tuft of auburn hair peaking out from the near side of the top sheet. He chuckled at this particular trait of Ginny's that was easily one of his favorites. On most mornings, early practices or other life matters forced her to be up bright and early, a fact of life she took in stride, and she rose easily to begin her day. But, her days off were another matter entirely. On her off days she loved to sleep in, and he loved to let her do just that, which brought him back to his current dilemma.

'Should I wake her?' he wondered silently. 'She does love a good lie-in, but I know she wanted to go shopping today before too many of the cruise ships come into port…Well, here goes nothing.'

Harry slipped quietly into the room and set the breakfast tray on the dressing table, never taking his eyes from the bed. A muffled snort and a deep sigh, followed by a soft regular snoring made its way from beneath the sheets to Harry's ears, giving him cause to smile. He sat on the edge of the bed and tipped the visible bit of Ginny's ponytail with his fingers. He nimbly traced her hair back under the sheets pulling back enough of the comforter to uncover her face. She wiggled and rolled over, tangling the sheets further, before turning her head and squinting up at him.

"Th's eggs…and sus' ges?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Sure is, are you going to pull yourself out from under that mess and have breakfast with me?"

"Could'a let me lie in a bit more," she grumbled, shifting to unwrap her legs from the sheets.

"I did, its half past nine now." He bent down and brushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead once before continuing. "And if we're going into town we need to get a move on."

Ginny slid over making room for Harry, and once he was in bed beside her he wandlessly summoned the tray of food. "_Accio!"_ The full tray floated across the room, settling across their legs.

Ginny kissed his cheek saying, "Thank you for letting me sleep in." She then turned her full attention to the food and ate hungrily.

Harry too dug into the breakfast. He mentally congratulated himself on how well the food turned out. The couple ate their fill and banished the dirty dishes and serving tray to the kitchen. Once the clearing was finished each of them took a quick shower, dressed and walked hand in hand to Georgetown.

Downtown Georgetown was not at all very large; in fact Ginny figured it was about the same size as Ottery St. Catchpole, maybe a little bigger. Most of the buildings were two stories tall with wide porches and balconies overlooking the streets. Nearly every building's ground floor was occupied by trinket shops, clothiers, jewelry stores and other businesses geared towards the muggle vacationers. In the harbor two enormous cruise ships towered over the quaint town; cruise passengers ambled down the gangplanks to the docks, eager to enjoy a day of shopping. Both Harry and Ginny marveled at the ships, each silently wondering how exactly thousands of tons of steel, glass and marble could actually float.

Ginny led Harry through various shops, picking up small mementos of the visit to distribute among family and friends when they returned to Britain. Harry offered to carry Ginny's bags, but in true Ginny fashion she declined, waving him off saying she appreciated the gesture but she was happier carrying her own. Harry noted to himself that the same comment wasn't made when she had a large trunk and was too stubborn to use a shrinking or lightening charm.

On the walk back to the beach house Ginny wondered aloud. "So those ships don't use magic…at all? Steel doesn't float I know that for a fact"

"No, no magic at all. See the muggles have people who can…well, see…there's engineers that use computers to design the ships in a way that keeps them balanced and the displacement within limits so they float."

"Engineers?" Ginny looked at him with a dubious eye. "So these engineers…they know how to drive trains and they can design ships?" she shook her head in disbelief.

Harry laughed out loud at her comment. "Well, no… there's two kinds of engineers, one kind drives trains, the other kind designs stuff like bridges and cars and boats and stuff." She kept eyeing him distrustfully. He tried to convince her without sounding condescending. "Look, Ginny…I promise…there really are two kinds of engi…"

He stopped talking when Ginny burst out giggling. "I swear Harry you can be so gullible sometimes," she sniggered. "Of course there are! I got an Outstanding in Muggle Studies; did you really think I was that daft?" She paused before adding, "Don't you dare answer that." She pushed him in the shoulder and took off in a dead run for the beach house, hoping to cover the last three blocks before he caught her. He heard her laugh over her shoulder, "Catch me if you can Potter!"

"Witch!" he called after her, watching as she ran down the block, her shopping bags swinging in time with her strides. He stood patiently until Ginny was about fifteen steps from the drive and he apparated right in front of her.

"Harry!" she shrieked in surprise.

"I win," he said smugly. He then did the one thing he knew could get him in serious amounts of trouble. He hoisted her over his shoulder, smacked her bum, and walked up the drive and around the porch to the side door with Ginny protesting loudly the entire way. He pushed the door open, taking time to give Ginny's rump another slap, and then carried her into the kitchen.

When he set her back down she tried her best to glare at him, but couldn't hold it and her face broke into a huge smile. "You do know you are the only, I repeat only, person on this earth that can get away with doing that…" she warned him.

"I do, and I fully understand that if I ever do that in front of somebody I'll get hexed…badly," he said respectfully.

"Good boy." She patted his head affectionately. "The things I do for love," Ginny giggled. She set the bags with her morning's purchases on the counter and watched as Harry's gaze drifted from the sacks of trinkets and clothing to the intricately carved wooden box containing their collection of memories a foot or so further down the countertop. "Let me guess…"

He grinned. "Why not? We don't have to be to the dive boat until two o'clock," he said holding up three more bottles.

Ginny nodded her agreement, letting him pour one bottle's worth of memories into the pensieve. She hugged him from behind catching the number on the bottle. "Twenty-eight." He leaned into the bowl taking himself and Ginny into the unknown.

**Bottle Twenty-Eight**

Neither Harry nor Ginny recognized the setting the pensive displayed for them.

.

_It was a girl's bedroom they supposed. The frilly white bedspreads and the flower print wallpaper giving them clues. At a small neat desk lit by lamplight was a blond haired girl of about twelve or thirteen years old, dressed in her pajamas. Beside the girl, standing by her shoulder, was the girl's mother._

"_Honestly Mum, it's fine. I understand," The girl said in light exasperation._

"_You are being very good about it. I know your party was supposed to be here and you had to cancel all your friends coming over," the mother said squeezing the girl's shoulder in comfort._

"_We can have fun with just our family, and it wouldn't be a party without Daniel doing something silly." The girl paused, "Do you think he'll make it to his birthday Mum?"_

_The mother swallowed thickly. "We don't know Lynette. We just don't know."_

"_Do you think it would be alright if I kind of make my party his party?" Lynette asked, turning to face her mother for the first time. Her bright blue eyes filled with tears._

"_What are you thinking dear?"_

"_Well, you know how much he loves the Cannons, do you think if I wrote them that maybe they might let a player come visit him?" The girl's eyes searched her mother's for any sign of agreement._

"_I don't know. I do know some players will do charity work, but I have no idea if they would."_

"_It never hurts to ask, does it? If I don't ask there's no chance at all," _

"_What do you have planned?" the Mum inquired._

"_I-thought-we-could-ask-Harry-Potter-to-come-visit-him-for-my-birthday." rushed from the girl's mouth without a break or a breath._

"_You're going to invite the most famous wizard in the world to your birthday party, for your brother?"_

_The girl nodded._

"_When you get your letter finished, bring it down and we'll owl it off." The mother gave her daughter a quick kiss on top of her head and left the room._

.

"So we're at the Warrington's." Harry deduced.

"Guess so," Ginny answered.

.

_The memory pooled and swirled about, before settling and forming a new scene in a warmly lit kitchen. The mother was enjoying a cup of tea at the freshly scrubbed table. In front of her on the table rested a small white envelope._

_The door to the kitchen swung open and a wizard in business attire walked in and kissed his wife on the cheek. "Good evening Imelda dear. I stopped by St. Elizabeth's, Daniel was asleep for the night and I didn't want to wake him, so I came on home."_

"_That's best, he gets so little sleep," the mother agreed._

"_What's that?" the father asked, pointing to the envelope on the table._

"_Have a seat and hold on…" Imelda directed her husband to a chair across from her. When he sat she continued. "Our daughter decided that to help cheer Daniel up she would invite a Cannons player to visit him, for her birthday."_

"_She's giving Daniel a gift for her birthday?" the wizard asked to clarify the statement._

"_Yes."_

_"Well, I'll be…"_

_"It gets better," The wife interrupted her husband. "She invited Harry Potter."_

_The man's jaw went slack in surprise. "Oh my, we can't have that. There's no way __he's coming to some little girl's birthday party." He shook his head. "This will turn out badly. What if she gets her hopes all up and he doesn't come?"_

"_I know, but I said if she wrote the letter we'd send it off...and she did."_

_The man whistled through his fingers and a tawny owl hopped down from the top of a bakers rack. The note was tied on and the owl soared out the open window above the sink._

_._

The memory swirled once more, settling in a hospital room.

.

_Harry and Ginny were standing by the door waving goodbye to the family. Daniel, sitting upright in his hospital bed, was trying to stay awake, but was nodding off after the excitement of having not one, but two quidditch stars visit him in the hospital. When the memory Harry and Ginny left the family began to gather their things for the night._

"_Goodnight Daniel. We'll be by to see you in the morning on the way to work." The boy's father assured the injured boy. His sister kissed his cheek and her parents led her from the room._

_Once the three of them were in the hallway she jumped for joy. "He came! He really came! And he brought GINNY WEASLEY TOO!" she screeched._

_._

Live Harry and Ginny smiled. "She is my biggest fan," real Ginny said proudly. "Owls me almost every week."

"I still get mail from Daniel too. He officially cheers for your brother now."

.

_The parents had let their daughter skip ahead of them._

"_Ralph, they were so nice," the mother said happily. "I can't believe she gave us tickets…"_

"He gave Daniel his World Cup jersey," Ralph added. "What do you think was going on with them? There at the end."

"_I'm not sure, but they were having a moment that included a lot more than just her being his girlfriend. The two of them make a great pair."_

"_Harry Potter came to a birthday party for a little girl he's never met. And did you see how he was with Daniel? He wasn't afraid at all!" Ralph said in awe. "Even the nurses are sometimes scared to touch him, with the werewolf in him now, but he didn't hesitate at all."_

_Imelda picked up the conversation, "Other than family I bet he's the only person that's actually hugged or touched him nicely in a month. Daniel hasn't smiled that much since before he was attacked by the werewolf."_

"_Mum! Dad! Hurry up!" Lynette called from the floo portal up ahead._

"_We're coming!" her mother answered._

"_I think I'll switch from Puddlemere to the Cannons…" Ralph decided. The memory faded out as the family flooed home from the hospital._

_._

"So we've seen the Warringtons memory now too." Ginny said. "At the time, we didn't know how touch and go it was for Daniel, did we?"

"No, we didn't. That's one thing I'm really proud of you for Gin. You always make so much time for kids and charities." Harry smiled appreciatively at his wife.

"You started it…" Ginny playfully bantered back.

"I know it's hard sometimes, with the extra time commitments, but you do a terrific job and this just shows how much those little moments mean."

"It's worth it. This was the first time I'd ever done something like that, and it made me feel so good inside. And, we were getting back on track during that time too. It was a good night all the way around." Ginny reminisced.

"Yes it was, and the next day _The Daily Prophet_ had three pictures of us kissing by your tent," Harry said, sliding the silver strand from the pensieve back into its small glass bottle.

"I didn't care, it let the whole world know we were together again." Ginny was now pulling another glass bottle from the red velvet lined box on the counter. She gently tugged the stopper free and let the memory contained in the glass phial slowly fall into the carved stone bowl. "Number three."

Once the swirling contents of the bowl calmed, the couple held hands and leaned into the mist, allowing the memory to pull them in.

**Bottle Three**

Harry and Ginny landed upright in the next memory. They were outside on a clear spring day standing on a small hill watching the two witches and one wizard in the memory as they worked.

.

_Luna and Ginny stood among the scattered remains of the east wall of the Lovegood's castle shaped home, working with levitation spells and lifting black stones high into the air and setting the cut stone blocks into place where Xenophilius magically bound them to the existing walls._

.

"This is the Lovegoods," Ginny stated even before the mist of the memory cleared away. She was indeed correct and soon Harry and Ginny saw the remains of the rook shaped house.

.

"_I'm sorry about your house Luna," Ginny said as they lifted another stone._

"_Yes, it was a shame the crumple horned snorkack shell exploded. It was quite a bit more powerful than even we expected. At least father and I can fix it, with your help of course." Luna answered._

"_Glad to help, besides it's better than being at the Burrow right now."_

"_Really, I was under the impression that Bill's wards over the Burrow protected it and there was very little damage?" Luna questioned her friend._

"_Oh, no, the Burrow is fine, it's just the company…" Ginny mumbled half heartedly._

"_The company? Why invite someone over who you don't want there? That doesn't make sense." Luna lifted a thin stone up to her father, where he wedged it tightly between two larger blocks._

"_I want him there, I just wish there was a way to talk to him."_

"_By him, you mean…?" Luna peered knowingly at her best friend._

"_Yes…Harry" Ginny nodded._

"_Does he speak a different language now? If you want to talk to him, talk to him. We all speak the same language…except for him speaking parsel tongue…unless you can too?" Luna lifted her eyes to Ginny for an answer._

"_No Luna, I'm not a parselmouth." Ginny retorted playfully._

"_Then why can't you talk to Harry?"_

"_Well, it's difficult." Ginny toed a small mouse as it squeaked past her left foot. _

_Luna seemed confused for a moment before saying, "Talking to him is difficult, or facing him is difficult? I don't expect that it's the talking that is the hardest part, it's facing him. Why not start over? Pretend it's the first time you've met. Say 'Hello Harry, I'm Ginny. Nice to meet you' like a new introduction."_

"_Girls, can you please levitate up that large oblong stone to your right? I believe it fits into this section of the parapet," Luna's father called from his perch atop the newly repaired section of wall._

"_Sure!" Ginny hollered back and levitated the requested stone to him. Once Xenophilius took control over the levitated block Ginny returned her attention to her friend. "Well, that's just it. When he came back, my introduction was a hex...three of them. We rowed pretty bad, bad even for me and my temper. And then Ron got involved and Bill and Mum and Dad…We kind of made up after, but we're still…"_

"_Three hexes, oh my," Luna exclaimed. "Did he deserve them?"_

"_I don't know…I felt like he did…but I'm not so sure," Ginny replied meekly._

_._

"No… the answer is no. I did not deserve them." Harry watching the memory pushed Ginny playfully in the shoulder.

"Did too. You'd been a prat. I was exercising my right to hex my boyfriend," Ginny pushed him back.

"Didn't think I was your boyfriend then, not sure it fell to your authority," Harry countered.

"Somebody had to do it. Everyone else was scared of you just 'cause you slayed old Moldy-pants. And I never hexed you on the day we broke up…so I owed you one for that, actually that pig-headed move was worthy of about ten hexes, at least one of which should have been a Bat-Bogey…" Ginny's warm brown eyes twinkled as she teased him. "Now that I think about it…I let you off easy…"

Harry shook his head in amusement. "Well who am I to argue with logic like that."

.

"_Are you glad he's back then?" Luna asked serenely._

"_I am…happy he's back, we're just at odds."_

"_I'm happy you're back Ginny, I missed you, after I was taken." Luna studied her friend's freckled face. "I wasn't sure if Mr. Ollivander and Dean and I would live…Luckily Harry is very good at saving people." The blond haired girl looked over the hill in the direction of the Burrow where Harry was. "But I do wonder…"_

"_Wonder what?" Ginny responded, turning to look over the hill too._

"_I wonder, for everyone that Harry has saved…If Harry needed it…who'd save Harry?"_

_Ginny strangled back a small gasp. "I…I dunno Luna."_

"_Well, if nobody else wants to save him, I'll do it." She continued gazing towards the Burrow as if she could see through the hill, past the orchard and see Harry in the living room of Ginny's home. "After all, he saved me and he was nice to father even after father had to print the lies to keep the Death Eaters away from me. I'll do it, unless you want to Ginny."_

_Ginny shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other but Luna didn't appear to notice. "I'm gonna head home Luna. I might be able to come by tomorrow to help some more," Ginny said politely, but her attention was now focused, as Luna's had been, on the path to the Burrow that wound over the hill…to Harry. Ginny hugged her friend and hurried over to a nearby elm tree. She grabbed her Cleansweep from where it rested, leaning against the gnarled old tree. With a quick wave back to __Luna, Ginny__ mounted her broom and flew off for home. _

_._

As Ginny left the memory faded away, leaving live Harry and Ginny standing beside the counter.

"That was the day before-" Harry started.

"-we talked under the willow tree for the first time," Ginny finished.

"Yeah…" the couple fell silent; each reminiscing of the first day spent trying to heal each other after the war.

"I'll do it Harry," Ginny said softly.

"Do what?"

"Save you…if you ever need it," Ginny replied.

"You already did, remember…but thanks. Hopefully I'll never need to take you up on that."

"That would be best." Ginny smiled as Harry's arms encircled her and she felt the warmth of his embrace engulf her.

Soon the previous strands of memory were removed from the pensieve and Ginny poured in a third. "Bottle…twelve, here we come," she called and without waiting for Harry dipped her face to the swirling liquid mist of the pensieve.

Harry followed suit and touched his face to the turbulent silver contents of the carved stone bowl.

**Bottle Twelve**

Ginny was already standing when Harry fell into the memory next to her. His landing lacked any and all grace when he tripped on Ginny's shoe, falling to the floor with a dull thud. He shook off the pain and pulled himself up to stand next to a smirking Ginny.

"Stand often?" she teased him.

"Yeah, I do. And it goes okay for the most part. Except when someone gets their big feet in the way!" he laughed, trying to stomp on Ginny's toes, causing her to hop and dance erratically as she tried to avoid his retaliatory actions.

"Hey, my feet aren't big. I'm a size four for Merlin's sake," she said quickly, just getting her size four out of the way before Harry's size ten stomped viciously on the floor half a second later. "Stop it…the memory is starting…"

Harry stopped his attempts to pay her back and together the couple watched as the memory began to play out.

.

_The floo activated in the Burrow's tidy kitchen. Molly turned to face the incoming visitor but did not appear to be surprised. Andromeda Tonks stepped from the fire, shielding baby Teddy's eyes from the small cloud of ash rolling out of the fireplace with her. With a swish of her wand Molly banished the ashes to the grate and pulled out a chair for her friend. _

"_Hello Andromeda, how are you feeling?"_

"_As well as can be expected…considering," Mrs. Tonks answered weakly, getting the baby situated in the crook of her arm._

"_You__ know that if I or the family can do anything to help…"_

_"I appreciate it and I do need help with him every once in a while. I wonder how I ever did it with Nymphandora…It was so long ago…was it easier back then?" Andromeda asked looking out the kitchen window to the back yard._

_"No, it wasn't easier…we were younger," Molly replied, turning to look in the same direction as her friend. The two women focused on Harry's skinny form where he sat alone on one of the faded, worn, picnic table benches. His clothes hung off his thin body. He picked at the hem of his t-shirt and then looked back out to the orchard completely unaware that the two witches were studying him._

_"He's not the same is he?" Andromeda asked._

"_No," Molly answered, "he isn't."_

_"I'm just not sure what to do…I know Remus and Dora both wanted Harry to be his godfather, but how do I balance that wish with what is best for Teddy? You can't look at that boy and not wonder if he'll ever be okay enough to let Teddy alone with him."_

_"He'll be fine…you'll see," Mrs. Weasley defended Harry. _

_"__You'd let a baby alone in his care? Or is this the optimistic mother in you talking?"  
_

"_I may be a little optimistic but I think he's going to be fine."_

_._

The Harry watching the scene shifted uneasily; clearly not comfortable with the conversation as it progressed.

"You okay?" Ginny asked the Harry watching the memory.

"I never knew she had doubts…"

.

_Memory Harry stood from the bench, pacing back and forth, muttering to himself and angrily stomping his foot every once in a while to emphasize whatever thought he was processing at the time._

"_He's just so angry," Mrs. Tonks observed. "What is he upset about now?"_

"_He and Ginny got into it again this morning. Bless them, they're trying to work out their problems, but there's so many raw emotions…They keep trying to talk…but it's too much for them. It would be easier if he could get some sleep, but the nightmares keep him, and us, from sleeping very well, which adds to the tension. We're all a little testy."_

"_That's about all he does isn't it? Fight and sulk?"_

"_Not all the time," Molly again defended her only black haired son._

"_Stop it Molly. We see or floo each other nearly every day and in every one of those conversations we end up talking about his nightmares, depression…fights with Ginny. For Merlin's sake Molly, he and Ron came to blows in this very kitchen just three days ago, so don't stand here now and tell me he isn't traumatized from the war," Andromeda challenged. "I have to protect Teddy, regardless of what Remus' and Dora's wishes were. How can he," she motioned outside towards Harry, "take care of or protect anybody, let alone a baby?"_

"_He's done just that for almost half of my family…I'd trust him with my life, and any of my __childrens'__ lives, even now when he's so lost." Molly again staunchly defended Harry._

_The latch scraped and the back door opened. Harry slipped into the room quietly with his head down._

"_Harry!" The two witches exclaimed in unison, hoping he'd not heard the tail end of their conversation._

"_Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."_

"_You didn't dear. Would you like a snack? I have some cake left over from last night's dinner." Molly offered._

"_No thanks. I'm not hungry," Harry replied as he studied the small boy in Andromeda's arms. "So, that's Teddy?"_

"_Yes," Mrs. Tonks answered carefully._

_Harry swallowed thickly, twice, as he tried to find his voice. "I…I'm sorry Mrs. Tonks, sorry about Ted, and Nymph…Tonks." He continued to watch baby Teddy as the child squirmed in his grandmother's arms. "I…I'd trade places with her…she didn't deserve to die…she had a family…I don't, so it would'a been better if it was me who'd died…Sorry," Harry mumbled the last sentence, but both women understood him clearly even if the words themselves were garbled. He left the kitchen for the sitting room; the only sounds that of his trainers on the hardwood and a slight groan from the aged joists supporting the floor._

_Molly cast glances between her friend and the door Harry exited through, unsure of which person needed her more at that particular time. She settled, for the moment, on Andromeda and spoke. "After hearing that, you tell me that boy wouldn't do everything in his power to make sure Teddy is happy."_

"_All I heard was him wishing he was dead. That's hardly a comforting thought."_

"_Hmppff…I heard him state he'd give his own life to bring back your daughter, so Teddy would have his Mum again," Molly said crossly. "Andromeda, we've been friends for years and I'll say this now. You are wrong. He's a good, loving person. All he needs is a chance to love." Molly paused for Andromeda to comment and when that didn't happen, she continued. "Now, go in there and introduce the boy to his godson."_

.

"Your Mum's always looked out for me," real Harry commented.

"My brother's have held out for years that you get special attention from Mum. Fred and George used to complain that they got in trouble at the drop of a hat, yet you could burn down the house and not even get a good yelling at." Ginny smiled, thinking of the number of times the twins complained about Harry getting special treatment.

"She had to treat me better," he said through a wide grin. "I'm the only one without red hair, makes me special."

.

_The memory had continued along, pulling Harry and Ginny into the Burrow's sitting room as Molly and Andromeda went in. Memory Harry stood looking at pictures of Ginny placed among the photographs of the other Weasley family members on the large heat stained mantle._

"_Harry," Andromeda began. "Can you come here please? I'd like to introduce you to your godson." The older witch nodded her head towards the loveseat. Harry stepped over and sat. _

_Harry held his arms forward, Andromeda placed the baby in his arms. She continued the introduction. "Harry this is Teddy. Teddy this young man is Harry, he's your godfather…Now, hold him firm, he squirms a lot…wait, not so tight that he can't move a little…"_

"_Like this?" _

"_Yes Harry, just like that," she encouraged him._

"_It's kind of like holding a quaffle," Harry remarked._

_Mrs. Tonks snorted back a laugh. "I suppose it is, now his neck isn't strong enough yet, so you have to support his head at all times…okay?"_

_Harry nodded a 'yes' quickly and focused all his attention on holding the baby. "Now what?"_

_This time Molly chuckled. "You hold him dear."_

"_That's it?" Harry gaped at the two women._

"_Yes, for now it is." Andromeda smiled as Harry grinned in spite of himself. "I'll cast a monitoring charm on him. If he fusses too much I'll come over." They two ladies retreated to the far side of the room taking seats on the large overstuffed sofa near the bookcase, leaving Harry alone on the love seat._

_Harry held Teddy in silence for ten minutes or so, not really sure about what he should do or say. He looked at Teddy and his godson peered right back at him._

"_So, yeah…I'm Harry. I guess we'll have to get to know each other."_

_No response._

"_Urrgghhh! What am I doing? I don't know how to take care of a baby. All I've ever owned is a broom and an owl, and well, one of the brooms got smashed and the other got lost…and my owl…" Harry frowned. "Not a very good set of examples is it?"_

_Teddy stared at him and gave a small smile._

"_Ya know, Sirius bought me my first broom, when I was one." Harry shifted his arms so Teddy was more upright. "I…I don't know how to be a godfather…hope you don't mind that too much."_

_The baby continued to stare at Harry's face._

"_I'm just trying to do the right thing."_

_In response Teddy gurgled happily and blew a spit bubble, which hovered in place on his tiny pink lips for a few seconds before it popped._

"_Right…so as I said before, now what?" Harry smiled down at the boy and was rewarded with another smile. Harry was quite pleased with the fact that he'd received two smiles from Teddy until he recognized the reason for the second smile and frowned. "Uhhh, you can't have done that, have you? Uuhh-eeewww…What a horrible smell, how can one little baby make…"_

_He was saved when Andromeda came over and lifted the boy from Harry's hold. "I heard your comments with the monitoring charm. I'll get him fixed up and maybe try to put him down for a nap."_

"_Do you have to? I mean put him down for the nap, not change him. I'm pretty sure he needs changing." Harry sat up expectantly._

"_You want to keep holding him?" Mrs. Tonks asked with surprise._

"_Yeah, I do. It feels nice to…it feels nice."_

"_Alright then, I'll have him back in a jiffy." As Andromeda left Harry caught a glimpse of Mrs. Weasley smiling._

_Soon Teddy was back in Harry arms gurgling happily, watching his godfather intently. Harry gazed down at the small child in his care. Teddy stretched his arms and wiggled down into Harry's chest, balling two small handfuls of fabric into his chubby fists. At this angle Harry could see more of Remus in the boy's facial structure. Teddy blubbered and for the second time blew a spit bubble._

"_That's quite the talent you have there little guy." Harry's observation was rewarded with another larger spit bubble._

"_Hello Ginny, did you have a good time at Luna's?" Molly asked when Ginny peeked inside the door to the sitting room._

"_Yeah Mum, it was fine. Hi Mrs. Tonks…Hey Harry," Ginny replied softly, letting her eyes settle on Harry holding Teddy for an instant before shifting her gaze._

"_Hey Ginny." The silence that fell after the greeting was noticed by all the occupants of the room with an age greater than a few months._

.

"So this must be…" Harry started.

"…the same day as Luna's memory to us," Ginny finished.

"What are the odds of that, pulling two from the same day? Or that two people even chose the same day." Harry exclaimed. He turned to Ginny and made a face. "Maybe it's fate." he said putting extra emphasis on the last word.

Ginny laughed aloud. "No, please anything but 'fate'. Anything, I mean it was 'fate' when you survived at the age of one, and when you met Ron and Hermione. Then later it was fate that you saved me and faced Tom Riddle again, and fate that we fell in luuuv. Fate struck again when you became an Auror." Ginny laughed and Harry joined her.

"So, please…let this be a coincidence, happenstance, fortuitous timing, please…we don't need…any more 'fate' in our lives." Ginny was now laughing so hard she was leaning on Harry's shoulder, quaking.

"Okay…okay…It isn't 'fate' it is merely a fluke of timing," Harry chuckled, giving her shoulder a squeeze and then laughing right along with her at the sheer volume of times that the papers had used the word 'fate' when it came to their lives or relationships

The couple calmed down and began to pay attention to the memory again.

.

_Memory Ginny was now near her mother, sitting on the floor next to the hearth. She grabbed a copy of Quidditch Weekly, flipped a page or two to find an article she was interested in and began to read._

_Harry watched as Teddy turned his head to follow Ginny's movements across the room. "Yeah, she gets my attention too buddy." Harry whispered. "Too bad I can't get her to talk to me without yelling…or hexing me." Harry continued to watch Ginny reading._

_Teddy twisted to get a better look at the redhead __across__ the room and then squirmed around to look back at Harry. A fourth spit bubble appeared and after it popped Teddy giggled. "Good one, biggest one yet," Harry chuckled a little too. "Thanks for cheering me up little guy, I really needed it. I…I wish talking to Ginny was as easy as talking to you. Maybe I should blow her a spit bubble? It's your trick but it might work for me. You could teach me…"_

_Teddy stretched and smiled sleepily before wiggling around and snuggling into Harry's chest with a tired little sigh. "Or, you could take a nap," he whispered. He continued speaking in a low whisper. "I don't know what to do Teddy. I just don't know how to be a godfather. I'll try though, I'll try as hard as I can to do things right." _

"_I think you're doing just fine," Ginny's soft voice startled him. He'd not noticed her getting up and walking over to him._

"_Look, Ginny, I…"_

"_Please Harry, I don't want to fight again," Ginny plead tiredly as she studied the small form breathing slowly into Harry's baggy t-shirt._

"_I don't either Ginny. I'm trying to…"  
_

"_Shhhh, I know you are," Ginny's words were accompanied by a brief hint of a smile. "I know…"_

"_Excuse me, let me take him and we'll get him settled in his carrier." Andromeda stepped closer and gently picked up her grandson. "Thank you Harry, I needed the break."_

"_You're welcome. Any time you need help, just let me know. I…He…I liked it, holding him. It made me feel wanted," Harry said thinly._

_Andromeda nodded her head in agreement. "You have an open invitation Harry, just floo me any time you want to see him." Andromeda then left the young couple in the sitting room._

_The memory followed Andromeda into the kitchen where Molly was waiting with a knowing grin on her face. "Go ahead say it," Molly said though her smile._

_Andromeda settled the baby into his carrier and tucked his blanket around him. "What?" She questioned her friend._

"_You know what. Admit it you stubborn old witch." Molly teased._

"_Fine, you were right!" Mrs. Tonks said in a gruff but friendly tone. Her voice leveled and she spoke with sincerity. "He said he didn't know what to do, yet he did it all just right."_

"_He's like that."_

.

The memory swirled about distorting the captured reality for a brief time before settling and providing a fresh backdrop for the next recollection. The new location was the same as the previous, the Burrow's kitchen, but the participants had changed and the festivities were more upbeat.

.

_Molly, Arthur, Charlie, and all the other Weasleys sat around the large kitchen table, finishing off the last of Ginny's 'Happy Seventeenth' birthday cake. Hermione was by her side and across from Hermione sat Andromeda Tonks, holding Teddy Lupin. Conspicuously absent were Ron and Harry. At the end of the table Ginny was showing off her presents and modeling her new dragon hide boots for the assembled friends and family._

.

"Your birthday that first summer, when Ron and I were away for Cannons training," said Harry.

"I know why we're seeing this one," Ginny observed.

.

_The party began to break up as family members stepped away or wandered off to other sections of the ramshackle old Burrow. _

"_C'mon Ginny, I'll help carry this stuff up to your room, and then maybe we can write the boys," Hermione offered, carefully cradling Ginny's gifts in her arms._

"_Thanks 'Mione."_

"_Ginny, may I have a word?" Mrs. Tonks interjected, stopping the newly crowned, adult witch._

"_Sure," Ginny replied. She nodded towards the staircase and spoke to her friend. "Go on up and get started, I don't think I'll be too long."_

_Hermione left the kitchen leaving Ginny alone with the elder witch._

"_Congratulations Ginny, you're a fine young woman and I'm sure you'll be very happy and successful in whatever you want to do in life." She flashed a quick grin at Ginny. "Especially now that you can hex those brothers of yours without getting in trouble for using underage magic."_

_Ginny giggled. "Yeah, perks of being an adult I suppose."_

"_Yes, and that brings me to another little known benefit of being an adult, accepting adult responsibilities." She shifted Teddy up higher on her shoulder and rubbed his back gently._

_Ginny quirked an eyebrow in question._

"_Now that you are of age," Andromeda paused to steady her breath. "Dora and Remus…they wished for you to be named Teddy's godmother. We couldn't say or do anything about it until you were of age…And, now you are, so I'm asking if you'll accept."_

_Ginny's eyes glistened at the thought of her deceased friends. "I'd be honored, truly honored," the answer coming without a shred of doubt. "I love the little guy."_

"_I can tell, and I think between you and Harry, if anything ever happens to me…"  
_

"_Stop, don't say things like that. You're not going anywhere," Ginny stated emphatically._

"_If we were certain of things like that, then Remus and Dora would be having this talk with you, not me," the older witch countered._

"_Too true… Well, just so you know, Harry and I will do everything we can to make sure Teddy here has a good life."_

"_So you can speak for Mr. Potter now, can you?" she teased the redhead._

_Ginny laughed. "About this I can, he loves that little boy. And you too."_

_"He's doing a lot better now isn't he?"_

_"Yes…he still has bad days, but between Mum and Dad, Ron and Hermione and I, he's getting better."_

_"You sell yourself short. From what I hear, you're his rock. He's better because of your efforts."_

_"We help each other." Ginny studied her godson sleeping on Andromeda's shoulder. "Teddy helps. When Harry is with Teddy he forgets to remember all the bad times and the war and the pain. Harry's always happy when Teddy is nearby."_

"_Well, then the three of you together should do famously. Thank you for accepting Ginny." She hugged the younger witch. "When Remus and Dora first advised me of who they wanted as Godparents I wondered if they'd taken the decision too lightly, had let emotion rule the choice instead of common sense. You are both so very, very, young…But I can see now how wisely they chose. I can sleep easily knowing the two of you are indeed the best possible choice…Now I have to get going and put his little bottom to bed. Goodnight."_

"_Goodnight," Ginny replied_.

.

The memory fell away in a wash of fine white misty vapor, leaving the true Harry and Ginny just where they'd started today's journey, near the counter in the beach house.

"That seems like it all happened so long ago," Harry mused aloud.

"Sure does, I hardly remember Teddy being that small," Ginny added.

"Or that docile. He certainly gets into enough now."

"Too right, he's a quick learner…walked early, talked early, teethed early." Ginny counted off on her fingers.

Harry held up a hand and started ticking off his own list. "turned hair green early, turned eyes purple early, turned face fuchsia early, lengthened hair, made arms blue…"

"Orange fingernails, flat nose, black eyes ooohh that was creepy, went bald, made his bottom yellow…" Ginny broke into laughter counting on her second hand.

"A true marauder at heart." Harry laughed at Ginny laughing.

"I wonder why he seems to develop earlier than most?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Well, I think it has to do with the wolf…a little. Animals all mature faster than humans. We're one of the weakest species before we mature. A human infant is completely helpless. But a wolf or other animal can walk and play within a few weeks of being born…" Ginny pointed out. "So, maybe there's a smidgen of a silver lining to the wolf part… Or maybe he just wants to mature early so he can get into more trouble sooner?"

"Maybe we should get him one of those tropical fishes for a pet? The ones that change color depending on what the background is?" Ginny questioned hopefully.

"Why? It would just be one more thing for us to take care of and we don't have time to mess with it. Get him a stuffed one and charm it. Make life easier, not harder," Harry replied.

"Ohhh, okay," she relented. "Oh my, Harry, it's almost two o'clock. If we're going scuba diving with the muggles we need to get ready and get to the dive boat!"

"You're right, if we hurry up and change into our suits we'll have time to take the bikes," Harry suggested.

Ginny smiled enthusiastically. "Great idea! Come on." She pulled Harry with her as she hurried down the hall to the bedroom to change into her swimsuit.


	6. Chapter 6 Bottles 13, 2, 21

.

**Bottles Thirteen, Two and Twenty-One**

Harry and Ginny arrived at Captain Frank's Dive Shop in good time. Traffic wasn't bad at all, and the two young adults had enjoyed the quick trip up the coast on their choppers. Harry parked his chopper near the side of the building and Ginny pulled in just to his right. Both dismounted the motorcycles, Harry checked his surroundings and pulled two shrunken duffel bags from the saddlebag on his chopper. He set the bags on the ground and enlarged them to normal size. After casting a surreptitious protection spell on the two bikes, Harry and Ginny walked across the parking lot and down the pier to the waiting dive boat.

The boat rocked gently against the pilings, its dull white hull reflecting in the water. It measured about sixty feet and had a dive platform at the rear. An upper deck served as an observation point for those not wanting to dive, but to sightsee.

"Be' right witt ya…" the greeting came from the raised cockpit at the center of the boat. "Set yer bags by th' others and Marty'll load 'em up. Welcome to Cap'n Frank's Dive Tours." A strapping middle aged man extended his hand. The years working the sea had certainly kept the man in shape and the man's thick chest and arms were a testimony to the toughness of his job.

"Hi," Harry and Ginny answered in unison, each taking the time to shake the man's thick muscled hand

"And you'd be?" The man asked.

"The Potters, Harry and Ginny." Harry introduced himself and his wife.

"And you're Frank?" Ginny inquired politely.

"Now, why'd ya think that?"

"That?" Ginny pointed to the nearly two foot tall letters that spelled CAPTAIN FRANK'S DIVE TOURS in large, green, block letters stretching nearly the entire sixty feet of hull.

The man gave her a puzzled look, "Yaa…and?"

Ginny pointed again at the letters.

"Well, dontcha think tha's a lot to be assumin'? I ain't Frank… Don't know if there ever was a 'Frank' ta-be honest. This is run by a firm out o' Miami. TRC Holdin's, LLC." But if they put tha there on the boats, nobody'd ever come out. So its Frank's…but my name's Cap'n Gene"

"Oh," Ginny said softly. "Nice to meet you Captain Gene."

"Tha's alright there princess. We'll ferget yer so gullible." He smiled, not noticing Ginny's very controlled, yet irked reaction to being called princess.

"Right, now most th' others are 'ere already. Go on up an' make yerselves at 'ome." He gestured to a set of stairs leading up to the viewing deck. "Now careful there, the plank's a bit slippery," he cautioned Ginny in a patronizing tone, holding his hand out to assist her. Ginny huffed a bit at the man's assumption that she would need help, but she made her way down the gangplank to the boat and boarded quickly, without comment, and without taking the man's proffered hand.

The couple made their way up and found seats towards the bow, greeting the other tourists on the dive tour. Soon, the boat pulled away from the dock and headed slowly out towards the first reef. The wind across the deck whipped their faces and made it feel a good twenty degrees cooler than the seventy-five degrees it actually was.

"Don't get in a mood over this Gin," Harry cautioned, noting that Ginny cast a second glare at the captain.

"I'm not. I'm really looking forward to this, but what does he think? I'm helpless?" she replied.

"He's being nice."

"He called me princess…" she fumed slightly.

"Well, so… What do we need to do? Get George to print up a bunch of shirts that say 'I'm NOT a princess' just so you can advertise the fact to the world?" Harry joked.

"Well, no…but."

"Just relax; we're going to be swimming underwater in less than an hour." Harry reminded her, slipping an arm around her shoulders when he noticed the ocean breeze making her shiver.

"Thanks," she murmured into his chest, snuggling against him.

"Any time…princess," he whispered. "OW!" he squealed when she pinched him in retaliation.

During the twenty minute trip the dive assistant, Marty, reviewed everyone's equipment. Harry and Ginny only paid passing notice to the instruction as they were using Kingsley's magical scuba equipment. To muggles it looked the same as their air tanks, regulators and masks, but it held a charm similar to the bubble head charm, which supplied the wearer with an unlimited supply of air. Prior to leaving Britain Kingsley enlarged his bathtub to a pool like size and gave them each lessons, so they'd be prepared when they arrived in Grand Cayman.

The one thing the young couple had not considered was the motion of the boat and how it might affect them, or more to the point, Harry.

"Okay love?" Ginny asked with concern noticing that as the boat bounced along Harry was becoming less and less talkative.

When he replied, his pallid skin gave an answer much more truthful than his words, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Right," she snorted. "Dear, you're white as a sheet." The boat topped another wave and as the bow slid into the trough behind it Ginny could feel the dip in her stomach. The same movement caused Harry's complexion to tint slightly green. "Harry?"

"U'm fine," he mumbled, looking decidedly un-fine.

The boat slowed and turned into the wind, when it came to a complete stop the captain dropped anchor and Marty dropped a guide line for the divers. The captain raised the red and white diver down flag, so any approaching vessel was aware of their underwater guests.

With the motion of the boat calmed, Harry began to feel better and soon he and Ginny stood next to their equipment lockers, pulling their gear from the shelves.

"Now then, lil princess, let me help ya," Captain Gene reached past Ginny and yanked her tanks out for her.

"I can get them," she huffed.

"Right, o' course ya can," he answered sweetly, but he gave Harry a wink as though they both knew Ginny wasn't able to get ready on her own.

Ginny scowled at the man, but the captain never noticed as he was now helping another young woman get her gear settled. "I'm…hex his bits…" Ginny mumbled quietly.

"Come on Gin," a still pale Harry tried to soothe her temper before it got the best of her.

A few minutes later, their scuba gear on, they tipped back off the dive platform into the warm water near Bear's Paw reef.

The couple swam down almost fifty feet, breathing easily thanks to the charmed equipment. They glided along the reef's border watching parrotfish peck at the coral and small school of sergeant majors, a yellow and black striped local fish, passed above them. The rhythmic motions of their swimming calmed Harry's stomach a little more and he began to enjoy the swim.

Marty swam by and pointed them to an unusual outcropping of fire coral, motioning that they should not touch it, he also pointed out the thin oblong head of a green moray eel swaying gently from side to side, waiting for an unsuspecting fish to pass by.

After nearly an hour diving, the other tour participants headed for the surface, taking careful measures to not rise to fast. Swimming to the surface too quickly would result in the 'bends' according to the captain. Harry and Ginny didn't know exactly what 'the bends' were, as the explanation had been rather technical, but knew it had to do with the amount of certain gasses in their blood, and that it would necessitate a trip to the local hospital.

Once all the tour members were again on board Captain Gene and Marty raised the lines, dropped the flag and throttled the large boat up to cruising speed.

The boat pitched as it rounded the west end of the island and as it was now cutting across the wind, the waves came more often. The rough sea completed the job started earlier in the day and Harry was now the pale green color associated with day old lettuce, a color that Teddy would no doubt try to imitate, if he were present.

Once the boat slowed at the Big Tunnels dive site the other occupants of the boat readied their gear and paired off for another underwater adventure. Harry pulled on his tanks and other paraphernalia and noticed with a smirk that Captain Gene was once again trying to assist Ginny with her tanks. Harry wasn't sure how long she was going to be able to keep her now bristling anger to herself.

Once they splashed into the clear water Ginny was smiling again and the pair floated across the surface of the water to the edge of the reef. Ginny wiped her mask and pulled it over her face. It was then she noticed Harry's grimace and his hurried attempt to rip off his own full-face mask. With a final wrench he pulled the plastic lens from his face and promptly emptied his day's lunch into the water. The bits of food floated beside them, and to Ginny's disgust, expanded out as if trying to surround them.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled ashamedly before retching into the ocean again. "Sorry again…I do feel better now though," he added helpfully.

Ginny frowned, pulled her mask back on quickly, and dove to get away from the chum swirling on top of the water. Harry pulled his mask back on and joined her but was quickly swarmed by hundreds of tropical fishes. Bright hues of blue, yellow, orange and purple blazed by as a feeding frenzy ensued all around the startled pair, the fish eating the remains of Harry's lunch. The couple now grinned wildly, completely overtaken in awe of the enormous schools of fish diving in and around their heads, arms and legs.

After an incredible five minutes the water was again clear and the fishes swam lazily away, their hunger sated for now. Ginny led Harry towards the base of the reef to investigate a large starfish and a few more eels. The site was aptly named as the reef opened in places, creating tunnels through the coral large enough for divers to swim through side by side. The sheer size of the reef coupled with the vast array of underwater life left a sense of awe within their souls, each keenly aware of just how magnificent the reef truly was. The second dive lasted longer than the first and after about two hours Marty came by to signal it was time to return to the boat.

Harry helped pull Ginny onto the dive platform, letting her step over the gunwale onto the deck of the boat. Gene was there again to help Ginny, still oblivious to the fact that she was not asking or wanting any help. He took her tanks by the straps and lifted them one-handed into her locker. Harry had to admit that the man was very strong, and then sniggered to himself when he realized the man was trying mightily to impress his wife and failing spectacularly, although some of the other women on the tour were suitably impressed.

The return trip was uneventful. Tired from the day's diving, several of the tour members dozed off. Harry laid his head in Ginny lap and closed his eyes to rest too, hoping that it would keep his stomach from getting so queasy. Ginny woke him as they arrived back at the dive shop. After the ship was safely moored to the pier the group descended to the lockers to get their equipment.

Ginny opened her locker and glanced over her shoulder at the large man coming towards her. "Captain Gene, could you lift my tanks for me? I'm tired after all the swimming." Ginny asked sweetly.

Harry whipped around, knowing it was unlike Ginny to one, ask the man for help; and two, ask in a voice dripping with sweetness.

Gene strode over and once again one handed the tanks, giving them a great pull. "DAMN!" he bellowed in pain. "Ahhhh crap…Sorry princess, din't mean ta swear like that," he apologized profusely. He rubbed his elbow and grabbed the gear with his left hand. This time he pulled in a more controlled manner, but still the tanks wouldn't budge.

"Everything alright there?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, big strong Gene here is just getting my stuff for me," she said nicely.

"Jus' need a bett'er hold on it," the large man muttered, giving another big heave on the equipment and accomplishing nothing more than pulling another muscle.

"Ohhh, don't hurt yourself," Ginny implored. "Maybe you're just more tired than you thought. I'll get them." And with a firm pull she removed her equipment from the cabinet and slid it into a large duffel bag. She then lifted the duffel with one hand and walked up the deck without looking back to witness the utter shock on the captain's face.

"Well," Harry said, smiling broadly. "She's a bit stronger than she looks." Gene watched the small redheaded woman walk down the gangplank to the choppers, swinging the bag as if it weighed nothing. "Have a nice day…And you might want to ice that elbow," Harry added noting that Gene was absent-mindedly rubbing his strained elbow.

Once the parking lot was deserted, Harry shrunk the duffel bags and stowed them in a saddle bag attached to the right side of his chopper. He flashed Ginny a knowing smile.

"What?" Ginny asked innocently, using a face that Harry was positive had kept her from being scolded many times as a young girl.

"Please, you know what," he retorted playfully.

"I've no idea, honestly Harry," she said, making sure her voice rang with sincerity. Her face broke into a smile when she realized he was not buying one iota of her 'innocent me' plea. "Oh fine. I used a sticking charm to keep the stuff in the cabinet, and then when I went to grab it I cast a weightlessness charm on it."

"Gin, that's against the law. No magic in front of Muggles, you know that!"

"They didn't know it was magic, I did it all nonverbal and wandless. All they know is Captain Gene couldn't lift it, but I could. No harm done."

"Gin…I'm an Auror, what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing, we're not in Britain." She shrugged. "It's what do you call it…out of your jurisdiction?"

"No we aren't in Britain, but the Cayman Islands are part of the British West Indies. Technically the islands do fall under the Ministry's jurisdiction," he said worriedly. "What if you get a notice and I have to arrest you?"

"Then you'll have to tie me up," Ginny smirked, climbing onto her chopper and firing up the engine. She flashed him a playful wink and she rode off for the cottage.

"Merlin I love her," Harry sighed before starting his own bike and driving after her.

When Harry arrived at the beach house a few minutes after Ginny she was already showered and wearing fresh clothes. She stood in the kitchen bent over at the waist, her long red hair hanging down in a curtain, obscuring her face. Her wand, held loosely in her left hand, swished in a gentle curling motion, the spell drying and styling her hair in gentle waves.

He watched in silence, gazing at her and felt his heart rate quicken. "I can't believe I'm married to her…" She interrupted his thoughts by standing upright and tossing her now dry red locks over her shoulder.

"Liked that did you?" She beamed happily at him.

"Yeah, I did," he admitted.

"Good, because you're stuck with me, Weasley redheaded temper and all."

"I'm okay with that." He closed the few steps between them and gave her a quick hug.

"We have the rest of the night free…what do you want to do?" she shifted her eyes towards the garden facing the white sand beach facing Little Sound.

"More of these?" Harry suggested eyeing the pensieve.

"You are soooo predictable Mr. Potter…but I think we can do a few more before we turn in for the night." Ginny acquiesced to his wishes, stepping over to the counter where the pensieve rested. She opened the ornately carved wooden box and slipped three bottles from the padded red velvet lining.

**Bottle Thirteen**

"Oohhh, lucky number thirteen…" Ginny said in a falsely ominous tone.

"Sorry, never put much stock in that," Harry replied nonchalantly pulling the glass stopper from the small vial and tilting it over the stone bowl. The silvery strand of memory swirled inside the pensieve, neither liquid nor mist, but glowing with a silvery sheen.

Harry leaned in with Ginny beside him. Both landed upright and standing in the cramped chicken coop turned work shed of Mr. Weasley.

.

_The elder statesman of the Weasley family put down his screwdriver and wiped his sleeve on the window to get a clearer view of the garden. It was morning, judging from the angle of sunlight, and spring owing to the fresh buds on the trees and the thin sprouts poking up from the freshly weeded flower beds. Harry paced about in the garden nervously. Arthur smiled as he watched, certain that whatever was troubling the young man would soon bring him in to talk it over._

.

"So, we're at home…and you're wearing a Cannon's jacket so it must be after you made the team…"Ginny appraised their surroundings.

"Yes, you're right. And it's before we got married."

"No kidding," Ginny teased him, bouncing him with a sideways swish off her hips.

.

_Harry in the memory stopped pacing, drew a great breath and then walked to the door of the work shed, knocking on the door as he entered. "Mr. Weasley?"_

"_Good morning Harry, how are you doing this morning?"_

_"I…Good, I think…yeah, good," Harry answered shakily._

_"Sure about that, you seem to be a little off this morning," Arthur questioned._

_"Yeah, I'm sure…I was wondering…"_

"_Yes?" Arthur responded._

"_I was wondering if…if you need help with that?" Harry motioned towards the toaster parts spread out across the work bench, but his actions hinted that helping repair the worn out toaster wasn't his original intent._

"_Well, from what I can deduce, it seems the purpose of this item __is__ to burn bread. Although why muggles would want to burn bread is beyond me, it none the less does the job quite well," Arthur said proudly, quite sure of his answer._

"_It's not supposed to burn it, you're supposed to be able to set it to different levels, so the toast comes out as light or dark as you want it," Harry explained._

"_Oh good, I thought the muggles must be all twitchy to want burnt toast all the time." He smiled and prodded the gutted toaster with his wand. "Now, as I see it the elextricities come in through this plug, marvelous, plugs are ingenious. Through this knob here and into the curly cues that burn the bread. And these springs shoot the burnt bread into the air where the muggles have to try to catch it."_

_Harry sniggered._

"_Is it a game Harry? Do the muggle children have to jump to get their burnt toast?" Arthur said, not joking at all._

"_No sir, if the toast is flying out the top when it's done, then the springs are broken too." Harry advised him._

"_Oh…well I did think it was odd of the muggles to make children jump for their food…"_

_Harry and Arthur began to investigate the toaster._

.

"My Dad is nutters…" Ginny watching the scene muttered. "Completely nutters…for our wedding he gives us a memory of fixing a toaster…he's going all wonky I think…"

Harry laughed. "You don't know what this is?" Ginny shook her head. "Hmmm, I thought we talked about this one time…Oh well, he's not wonky, at least not any more than he has been for years. Keep watching…" Harry's cheeks tinged as he spoke, but Ginny didn't notice since she was once again focusing on her father fixing the broken toaster.

.

"_Reparo!" Arthur said clearly, pointing his wand at the worn, burnt, disconnected knob lying on the bench. It shuddered and the brown tint wisped away, leaving the dial clean and new again._

"_Great, I'll put that back on." Harry took the knob and installed it back in the toaster frame._

"_And these two springs?" Arthur asked._

"_Yes, repair them too. Those counterbalance the springs that lift up the toast," Harry explained, and upon seeing the confused look on Mr. Weasley's face, continued. "Without these, the stronger springs just shoot the bread up and it flies out. These slow it down so the toast pops up like it should._

"_Reparo, reparo!" two quick jabs of his wand followed and Arthur studied the newly repaired springs carefully._

"_Sir, why do you need a toaster? Mrs. Weasley does a perfect toasting charm?"_

"_Oh, she does Harry, but I've had good muggle toast before and…" he smiled dreamily, "it was the best, simply marvelous and then I put some marmalade on it…it was heavenly," he said wistfully. And at that moment Harry knew where he'd seen that same exact look before, Ron._

_Mr. Weasley continued, "The marmalade warmed and seeped into the toast, pure delight… marmalade and warm toast…"_

"_I-need-to-marry-Ginny!" Harry said rapidly._

"_What!" Arthur exclaimed, dropping his wand and both small springs in shock at the statement._

"_She's marmalade…well, she's my marmalade…" Harry said, flustered._

.

"Oh my" Ginny watching the scene said in surprise.

.

"_Harry, son…"_

"_No, wait I said that all wrong… She isn't…No, no she is…She's the marmalade for my toast. Sure toast is good, and toast is better with butter, or jam. But toast and marmalade IS the best, just like you said. See I was bread, and I was all burnt and broken but Ginny…she turned me into toast and good toast too, but she's the marmalade…she gets into my pores and makes simple toast a perfect meal…she's marmalade…" Harry breathed out heavily, not realizing he'd been holding it for the whole speech._

"_I see…" Arthur picked up his wand, mostly to give him something to do other than stare at the young man before him._

"_I probably should have worked into that a little better, yeah?" Harry asked. "Bit of a shock wasn't it?"_

"_Yes…and no…" Arthur smiled at Harry. "I expect this has been weighing heavily on your mind then?"_

"_It has."_

_"Since when did you decide you 'needed' to marry Ginny?" he queried. "After the week you two spent gallivanting around in Miami?"_

_"That is part of it…but it wasn't until the week after Rita ran that horrible article about Ginny in the prophet that I knew for sure. All these witches were sending me letters about how they were the one for me, and how they wouldn't ever cheat on me, which Ginny never did…but they all said the same thing, that I was better off with any of them than I was with Ginny." He paused briefly._

"_But, they don't get it. None of them do…Ginny, she's the right person for me, she's the perfect person for me, she's…"_

"_Your marmalade__," Arthur finished for him._

"_Yes sir."_

"_You're awfully young, Ginny's even younger…And just like marmalade she can be messy, and can go sour if not cared for, and you can get burned if you get the marmalade too hot, and it'll be one flavor of marmalade forever Harry. No butter, or jam, just marmalade."_

"_Sir, when did you first ever feel loved?" Harry asked softly._

"_I've always known love, from the earliest memory of my own mother and father, why?"_

"_I never felt it until Ginny, the last year I was at Hogwarts, I didn't realize what it was, but for the first time in my life I felt like maybe, just maybe, I had a future outside of having to kill Voldemort. And then Dumbledore died…"_

_"And you broke up with her."_

_"Yes, and I hated doing it, but I had to, and then the night of our first date…" Harry's eyes glistened slightly as his emotions got the better of him for a moment._

_"She told you she loved you, and you said the same." Mr. Weasley completed the sentence._

_"That was the first time…"_

"_I know son," Arthur returned gently, taking one step forward and hugging the young man that was to be his future son-in-law. "She's marmalade…you have my blessing."_

_Harry nodded, and broke the hug. "Thank you, I want it to be a secret, and I won't ask until after school is out."_

"_Well, if you want it to be a secret we might want to keep this tidbit from Molly, for a while at least," Arthur suggested. "And if we finish this toaster up, then maybe later we can make some toast with marmalade."_

_The memory faded away._

.

In the kitchen of the vacation home Harry stood looking kindly at a teary-eyed Ginny, not sure if he knew the emotions at play. "Are you happy or sad, or…"

"I don't know…Marmalade, I'm marmalade?" she laughed. "It was so silly, and a bit daft," she chuckled again. "But Harry, that was the sweetest thing I've ever heard in my life."

Harry wrapped her body in his arms, pulling her against him. He could feel the curves of her body where it molded to his, and he tilted his head down to capture her lips a passion filled kiss. She responded in kind, and the passionate, loving kisses consumed the young couple for several minutes.

When they separated Ginny spoke. "I love marmalade and toast too." Ginny lifted up on her toes and engaged her husband in another passionate round of kisses. That broke only when both of their breathing was quite labored.

"Maybe we should save some of that for later?" Harry offered, pulling the memory from the pensieve with a slow lifting of his wand and sliding it back into the tiny glass vial for protection.

"Promise?" Ginny smirked happily.

"Wild hippogriffs couldn't keep me away," Harry replied, with a smile.

"Good enough for me," Ginny laughed. "Okay now we have bottle number two." And without much in the way of ceremony, Ginny turned the opened bottle upside down over the carved stone bowl letting the silvery wisp of a memory slide softly into the bowl.

**Bottle Two**

Ginny nosed into the swirling white mass and fell into the next memory with Harry close behind. Ginny landed on her feet, Harry landing deftly right beside her.

"We're getting better at this; neither of us fell on our arses that time," Ginny commented dryly.

"I know, must be something to be said for practice," Harry agreed.

.

_The heat and humidity enveloped everyone in the memory, soaking them with perspiration. A large crowd milled about in the __grandstands__. All of the Weasleys were standing, screaming and waving in support of Ginny. She rocketed past on her firebolt wearing the gold robes with green trim associated with the Harpies summer league training squad. A thin wizard with the arm span of an albatross took a mighty swing, connecting with the bludger sending it across the pitch. The wizard took another swing and clubbed Ginny soundly on the arm with a dull thud. Bill, Charlie and Ron all swore at the referee for a blatant no call, as by rule, Ginny should have been awarded a penalty shot. She toughed it out __by__ cradling her injured arm for a moment before turning and flying back up the pitch._

"_That's the third time he's done that, and the referee hasn't called it once!" Ron fumed._

"_Ron, you know how this league works, it's rough and mean. You earn your stripes here," Charlie growled._

_Ginny caught a quick pass from a teammate, faked the thin beater left and dove under him, she banked right and made a clean shot past the keeper and through the left hoop for another ten points. She flipped off the thin wizard that cursed at her, but was nearly knocked off her broom by the other beater for the Hamfordshire team, who'd flown directly into her side. Only her rib protector, making the man's broomstick bounce off her ribs, kept her from being injured. She swerved out of control for a few seconds before steadying her broom and shooting down the pitch after the quaffle._

"_She's tough, that one," Bill admired his sister._

"_She'll need to be to play in this league," Charlie agreed._

"_This is worse than the World Cup, because they're all fighting for their professional lives. Once you get to the level Ron and Harry are at, the players have made it. Their league takes more skill, but it isn't as brutal."_

_The conversation halted, overridden by the shrill whistle of the referee, the Hamfordshire seeker was holding the snitch triumphantly. The teams huddled mid-field before dispersing to find friends and family. The Weasley family made their way to ground level of the pitch. The grass was worn, and bare in places, the stadiums the training league played in were of no compare to the professional stadiums Ginny was used to seeing. In fact, to be __honest,__ the Hogwarts school pitch was in better shape._

.

"When is this?" Harry asked.

"My first professional match. I got paid forty Galleons per game as a training chaser, plus five Galleons per goal scored," Ginny replied absently. "You weren't there.

Harry, unsure of what to say, kept quiet.

.

_The family was now gathered around Ginny, heaping her with praise._

"…_really brilliant Ginny," Bill's comment finished._

"_Yeah and flipping the thin guy off as you scored! That's our little Gin-Gin." George ruffed her sweaty red hair._

_Molly was tending to her daughter's scrapes and bruises. One particularly nasty bruise on her ribs was still a deep purple even after Molly worked three doses of dittany into the injury. "Are you sure about this dear?" she asked softly so nobody else would hear._

"_Mum, I want this. I knew what this league was like, and I'm tougher than they are." She thumbed over her shoulder where a group of medi-witches was working on other injured players from both teams. The family talked a little more, letting Ginny rest on the bench. She glanced around the pitch, looking, hoping to find a mop of messy black hair watching from the sidelines unannounced. She didn't find him after four scans of the remaining crowd._

"_I didn't see him either Ginny," Charlie said slipping an arm around her shoulders._

"_I just thought…" she sighed. "I thought he cared enough to come…Whenever I pictured this moment I always pictured it as a completely happy time. In my mind we won, which we didn't tonight because our training seeker is rubbish. And my family would all be here, and you are, except for Freddy…but more recently, I always ended the dream with Harry walking me off the pitch."_

"_Are you regretting your decision?" Charlie asked._

"_No, I am going to play for the Harpies, nobody is stopping me from that, not even Harry," she stated firmly._

"_I wasn't under the impression that he would try to stop you."_

"_I…I don't know either, he won't talk to me or answer my letters. I've given up sending them, but in the last one I invited him and he didn't come…I know he's mad at me, but…" she shook her head dismally. "I feel like I'm going to have to choose between Harry and quidditch…"_

"_Why? Did he make you chose?" Charlie questioned her seriously._

_Ginny waited to think before she answered. "No, he didn't." She paused again. "I just feel lost. I don't even know who I am…I need to be Ginny Weasley, I don't want to be Mrs. Harry Potter my whole life."_

"_Then its good you said no to him."_

"_No! That isn't what I mean…I do want to marry him, but I have to be Ginny Weasley before I can be Ginny Potter…does that make more sense?"_

"_For a girl."_

"_Prat," she laughed, punching his ribs lightly._

_"Ginny, I know what the whole 'finding yourself' thing's about. For Merlin's sake I ran off to Romania. And you're right, you need to be one hundred percent Ginny Weasley before you can happily be Ginny Potter."_

_"But can I be Ginny Weasley, a Holyhead Harpy, and Ginny Potter?"_

_"Sure, but you'll have to work it out on your own, nobody else can do it for you," Charlie advised._

_"I want it all Charlie. I want all three and I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen. I have to work on me now, and the Harpies now too. I just need Harry to give me a chance to get it all worked out." She smiled at how determined her voice sounded. "I can see it. Me as an independent person, and a chaser for the Harpies, and coming home to Harry…I want my dreams, all three of them. And I'll have them."_

"_That's the Weasley spirit." Charlie smiled._

.

The memory swirled about causing the couple watching the memory feel unbalanced for a brief time, but when the swirling mellowed and a new scene was displayed, Harry's and Ginny's stomachs settled as well.

.

_Harry and Ginny now stood in the hospital ward of the World Cup stadium. Harry of the memory was magically bound by his bandages resting under the influence of a calming potion the healers had just administered. The only people present were Charlie, Bill and a bedridden Harry._

_"I'm going to find Fleur. See you tomorrow Harry, when you get to the Burrow."_

_"No, I'll be going home with Ginny, to the loft," he countered._

_Bill and Charlie both laughed. "Are you kidding," Bill said in shock. "Mum's favorite son is all banged up, no way you don't end up in the Burrow. She'll be all mother hen to you, just soak it in mate, enjoy the food and the pampering." Bill waved as he slid out the door._

_"Well Harry you really know how to make a proposal don't you?"_

_"Yeah, I'm just happy she said yes this time." Harry smiled._

"_You mean after she hexed you?" Charlie reminded him of the episode from the previous night after the Cannon's had won the Quidditch World Cup for the second time._

"_Yes." Harry smiled too. "She is quick with a wand that one…I don't know what I would have done if she said no again."_

"_Find a way to ask a third time is my guess," Charlie replied._

"_Probably…and a fourth time, and a fifth too, if needed," Harry admitted_

"_I haven't seen you much since Christmas, but I wanted to thank you."_

"_Thank me?" Harry wondered aloud._

"_For taking care of Ginny while she was getting herself sorted out."_

"_Charlie, she and I barely saw each other, I wasn't taking care of her. She was on her own, which was what she needed."_

"_You misunderstand me. While she was away you could have thrown down with any number of witches, and I'm pretty sure there were plenty lined up to do so…but you were careful not to…"_

"_I'd rather have been with Ginny, not any of those silly fangirl witches trying to get my attention, so I just stayed away."_

"_Exactly, you did right by her even when she, to be honest, hadn't really done right by you. The blokes at the dragon reserve were always getting on about it, how if they were you they'd have a different witch every night…and you stayed true to Ginny…so as her brother, thank you."_

"_You're welcome, I just did what felt right…and Ginny, she's what feels right."_

"_I don't think I need to know how Ginny feels Potter," Charlie growled._

_"Sure you do, first she's so warm, when her body is up against mine, she radiates warmth as if she has an internal fire. And she's soft in places, but her bum is kind of firm and it feels so nice…"_

_"La-la-la-la-la…I'm not listening Potter," Charlie called out loudly, covering his ears with his hands and wincing at what he was hearing._

_"Oh Merlin can that girl kiss too, she can kind of curl her tongue so it…"_

_"STOP, I'M NOT LISTENING!" Charlie shuddered and hurried out the door."_

_"Bye Charlie," Harry smirked…_

.

Harry and Ginny laughed at Charlie's hasty exit, and held hands as the memory shifted around them once again, forming a new place and time.

.

_The scene was again a quidditch pitch, but this time it was empty. And the new memory was in a quidditch pitch one hundred times the size of the previous memory. Ginny was sitting on a team bench at twilight watching the sun as it slowly dipped behind the stands of the World Cup pitch._

"_Hey squirt," Charlie teased, sitting down next to her. "I just came from the hospital ward, Harry's fine…How's the hand?" he questioned._

"_Fine, I haven't hurt it…" she answered in confusion._

"_Thought you might have strained it showing off that ring," he nudged her with his shoulder._

"_Prat…Is that the guy way of saying you want to see the ring without having to resort to the very unmanly task of asking to see it?"_

"_Yes," he grumbled with a smile, taking her hand gently in his and studying the ring. "Wheeeew, it's…wow…it's beautiful," he said with heartfelt consideration, studying the ring as it glittered in the last rays of sunlight._

"_Yeah," she answered letting her hand fall back to her lap when her brother released his hold on it._

"_So, are you ready to be Ginny Potter now?"_

"_Yes…" she pulled her brother into a crushing hug. "I'm getting all three Charlie, all three!"_

_He hugged his little sister back. "I know, congrats sis." He kissed her forehead softly. "Love you."_

"_Love you too Charlie." She kissed his cheek._

.

The memory wisped away leaving Harry and Ginny alone again in the kitchen, standing over the small stone pensieve.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at that match Ginny, I…"

He didn't finish the sentence because Ginny interrupted him with a brief kiss.

"Harry, I know. We talked about it that night in the tent. I understand, and I forgave you for it, just like you forgave me for shutting you out of my life that summer. It's in the past," she said soothingly.

"Memories from that summer and fall still bring up a surge of emotion when I see them," Harry said, deftly swirling the tip of his wand through the pensieve to collect the memory so he could return it to its bottle.

"I expect they always will," Ginny added.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, well one more to go then." He pulled the stopper from the bottle, letting the next memory slide gracefully into the bowl.

Holding hands the couple fell into the next memory.

**Bottle Twenty-One**

_The large room was bordered by ancient mirrors on three walls. Different pictures and news articles from The Daily Prophet had been affixed to the mirrors with sticking charms or spellotape. The fourth wall had a few cabinets against it and four or five beds partially hidden by white linen screens. All of the beds lay empty. A lone dark haired wizard paced nervously concentrating fully on a muggle bubblegum wrapper held tightly in his hand._

.

"Room of Requirement," Harry said, quickly determining their location. "But it's not the same as when I ran the DA, there are beds and cabinets full of potions."

"That's because this is the year you were chasing horcruxes. It was bigger since we had more people, and the beds and potions were for after detentions.

"Oh."

.

_The door to the room opened and a slightly built witch gasped as she fell through the door, and leaned on the wall to support herself._

"_It's about time!" Neville shot at the girl. "I've been worried to death."_

"_S-rry," the girl gasped, spitting up blood that dripped to the floor, pooling at her feet. "I got caught by Pansy and her little coven, six on one. When I made it past them they shouted and Amycus came around and saw me." _

.

Live Harry shuddered, as the battered girl looked up to face Neville. It was Ginny. "GIN!"

Ginny gripped his hand. "I know, but it looked worse than it was."

"I doubt that, you're spitting up blood!" He countered.

"Harry, I'm fine, just watch. I know why this is here, and as you can tell, it won't all be pretty."

.

"_She crucio'd me and the seven of them dragged me down to the dungeons for a quick detention." Ginny limped further into the room, one foot twisted at an odd angle, and she winced any time she put weight on it._

_She was closer now and the deep bruises on her face showed, her lightly freckled nose lay swollen and pushed to one side, her lips were split and she was missing a front tooth._

.

"Gin…oh Gin…" Harry pulled live Ginny protectively into his embrace.

"I'm okay Harry, this is just a memory,' she tried to soothe him.

.

"_Here," Neville hurried to her, stooping to let her rest her arm across his shoulder, supporting her weight. Neville helped her to the nearest bed and then flicked his wand at the bubblegum wrapper. "I just signaled Padma, she'll be here soon to help you."_

.

"Padma?" Harry questioned Ginny, still holding her protectively.

"She was best at healing charms. I was a close second, but you can't do them on yourself very well," Ginny explained.

.

"_Episkey!" Neville cast the healing charm on Ginny's bruises and cuts. And only moments later Padma rushed into the room._

"_I was already on my way up here. Sir Cadogan told me about Ginny coming back from detention, knew I'd be needed." She helped Ginny to lie back on the bed and undid her shirt. Soon Ginny's broken ribs and ankle were swollen and pink, but healing nicely. Her nose had taken two spells to get back right, and had stopped bleeding. _

_Ginny sat up, and nodded towards Neville. "The troops are here." The room was becoming crowded as more and more people came in for the day's lesson. Ginny hastily buttoned her blouse and stood shakily._

"_Okay there Ginny?" Luna asked._

"_Yes," she rasped. "Aguamenti!" and she sipped cool water from the spray emitting from the end of her wand. She stood up straight, grimacing at the lingering soreness in her ribs._

"_Quiet!" Neville commanded and the room hushed. "I'll do most the talking today, Ginny just got back from detention." The room's occupants nodded, understanding exactly what detention meant._

"_So first, please don't go anywhere alone, they jumped Ginny six on one. Always in pairs, Understood?" The room as a whole nodded yes. "Ginny, promise me…you're the worst of the bunch and you know you're their biggest target," he implored._

"_Okay, I'll do better. I promise," Ginny said._

"_Why are we even doing this? I for one am tired of getting beaten up, and sent to detention just because I know her." The boy pointed to Ginny, "or you." He pointed to Neville. A few others grumbled in agreement, but most were angered by the sentiment._

"_Look you little twit, I…" Neville began._

"_Stop!" Ginny commanded, and Neville immediately did so._

"_It's a fair question. It is, and I won't belittle you for asking it. It's Gregory right, you're a Hufflepuff?" Ginny limped forward. "Knowing me puts you in danger, there's no way I can deny that. What I do, teaching this class, tormenting the Carrows, supporting Harry, every single thing I do makes the target on my back bigger. It makes them hate me more every day. And believe me there are days I want to hide from the world. In fact, some days I do just that."_

_Ginny looked around at the students gathered before her. "But hiding isn't going to solve our problem, and make no mistake it is our problem. The ministry is not here to protect us, the Aurors have been corrupted, and those teachers loyal to the Order have been clamped down to the point of uselessness. We, the people in this room, are the ones who have to handle this mess they call a school." The crowd was now silent._

"_School," she chuckled, "Yeah we're learning, aren't we. But we aren't learning useful things like turning rabbits into teakettles, or charms to correct misspellings in our homework. No, we're learning how to set broken bones, and the best wand movement to use when healing a cut to leave as little scarring as possible. We've learned to conjure a patronus to protect us, shield charms and more hexes and curses than any other class in school history. And we're doing it on our own, so that not only will we survive, but so those not strong enough to fight back can survive too."_

_"And when school is out whether it is in spite of the war or because of it, we will not be graded by O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s. No, we'll be graded on a more basic set of standards. Are we alive, did we stand up to be counted when others hid, did we protect the innocent or weak, did we do the best we could to make our world a better place. That is how we'll be judged, that is how we will be remembered. So either make your stand, or walk. But if you walk, you better pray that somebody in this room is there to help you when you need it. And at some point you will need help, we all do. Neville, Seamus, even me, all of us need help."_

_The room was now completely silent, nobody stepped away. After a brief time Seamus, Michael Corner and Luna began teaching a modified stunning spell to the group, now separated into groups of four and five._

_Ginny limped gingerly over to the window, looking out over the snowy grounds of the school. She leaned on the thick windowsill to support her weight. Neville came to stand beside her._

"_Good speech, shut ol' Gregory up didn't it," Neville said._

_"It's not even Christmas yet and I'm worn out, Neville. Every part of my body hurts, I can't sleep at night, I'm so tired."_

_"I know, but you're doing a great job leading the DA."_

_"Am I? We all keep getting busted up and cursed. Every person in this room will have scars from this year…That's my legacy, I led a bunch of kids into danger, getting them hurt, maybe killed before this is all over. Why isn't Harry here doing this? Why did it fall on me?"_

"_Harry's off fighting, doing what he needs to do, whatever it is," Neville explained._

"_Do we know that? How do we know he isn't hiding? It's silly to think whatever we're doing is helping."_

"_Stop it Ginny. I won't listen to this, I understand you're hurt, but we both know Harry is doing his best to bring down Volde- You-Know-Who," Neville said remembering the jinx on the name._

"_He just left Neville, he left without a word to me. He left me to fend for myself in this wretched hell hole of a prison they call a school, with every single Death-Eater wannabe knowing we were together. And now he's not here. I have to defend myself, teach others and…it's too much Neville."_

_"I know it feels like the weight of the world Ginny. I feel it too, granted not as much as you, but look over there, that's almost seventy kids that are learning how to defend themselves, to keep themselves safe, and to do what is right. And they're learning it because of you. You matter Ginny, what you are doing matters, and if you stop the whole thing falls apart." Neville chastised her gently._

_"That doesn't help to relieve the pressure." She gave a brief smile before her face again returned to a tired state._

_"I realize that, I just figured it might do good to remind you of why you fight so hard."_

"_I fight because it's the right thing, because I'd hate myself if I gave up, because some day Harry will come back, and I want him to be proud of what I've done. I may kick and scream and beat the stuffing out of him for leaving me like he did, I hate that he left me. I know why, but it hurts so much, I have these horrible nightmares, he dies in all of them…" she shook her head to clear it. "But when he does come back, I want to be able to tell him I did something to help."_

"_He'll know."_

.

The memory faded out leaving Harry in the kitchen clutching Ginny more tightly than ever. "I know, I know, I know…" Harry whispered into her ear. She wriggled into his chest, feeling his heart racing and he squeezed her in response.

Ginny clenched her arms around Harry's torso. "That is all in the past, love." She kissed his neck.

"I know, but seeing it is so real, and it was such a short time ago…I was an idiot, to think they'd just leave you be. Nobody hurts you ever again, I swear it," he promised.

"You can't keep me hidden in the tower Harry, I'm not a princess. Yes that memory was hard to watch, but I came out of it ok, and I'm better for it." Ginny placed a few more small kisses on his neck to reassure him.

"Gin, I love you. I'll never stop." He kissed her jaw and neck, then he made his way over and he kissed her ears and her cheeks softly. "You are everything to me Ginevra."

He kissed his way to her lips where her lips greeted his enthusiastically. He slid both hands up the back of her shirt, caressing her warm skin, smooth and soft to the touch, His right hand slipped beneath the waistband of her shorts, to the ridge on her left hip, marking one of the scars left over from that year at the castle. He knelt before her and drew her shorts and knickers down just enough to expose the thin pink line of scar tissue and placed a small kiss on the raised skin.

He let the band of her shorts back up and slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, lifting it on the right. The action bared another thin pink line of scar tissue, just under her right breast, below the edge of her brassiere. Harry brushed his lips across that reminder of a detention too.

He let her t-shirt fall back into place and stood up. Knowing where he was going, she tilted her head to give him access to the thin white line of a scar that ran just under her jaw line. He kissed his way to the last of her three major scars. Ginny wound her hands into his thick mop of black hair and turned his face to hers. She kissed him forcefully, slipping her tongue past his lips. She used his shoulders for support and wrapped her legs around his waist, never breaking the string of kisses.

Harry moaned his appreciation as he walked her back to the bedroom. Harry stopped by the side of the bed and Ginny fell on her back across the top of the bedding. Harry kissed the bit of exposed stomach showing above her shorts when her t-shirt rode up a touch.

Ginny giggled, "Hey, that tickled!"

Harry grinned up at her, after all that was the reason he had kissed that particular spot. His smile was replaced by a look of love. "I love you Gin."

"Prove it," she said with a teasing smile. And as expected he did just that.

The room was now dark; their romantic adventures had subsided a good two hours ago. He was now lying on his side; Ginny was spooned up against him, her back to his front. Both Harry's arms wrapped firmly around Ginny's body protectively, and she was softly snoring, blissfully asleep.

"G'night Gin, nobody will ever hurt you again." He sealed the whispered promise with a kiss to her bare shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7 Bottles 27, 15, 7

**Bottles Twenty-Seven, Fifteen and Seven**

Another beautiful morning greeted Harry and Ginny as they rose to begin their next day of vacation. The diving the previous day was more tiring than either of them anticipated and so both of them took the opportunity to sleep in. It was encroaching on nine o'clock in the morning and while both were now wide awake, neither wanted to get up from bed.

"Stop it…" Harry whined.

"Whaaa, 'm not doin'anything," Ginny mumbled.

"You're toes are tickling my shins. And they're ice cold too," he groused, trying to shift his legs over.

"No, your shins are the perfect place to warm my toes…Come on, love." She stretched out and rubbed the pads of her feet against his lower legs.

"No," he wrenched his legs back at the contact. "Besides, how can your toes be cold when it's like eighty degrees here?"

"Harry…it's in the sixties at night, and it shouldn't matter anyway. I'm your wife; I'm allowed to put my cold feet on you to warm me up." Ginny slid closer to Harry and wiggled her toes into the crevice between his shins.

"Bloody hell Ginny," he complained twisting away from her. She had none of it and kept sliding across the bed until she was now in the warm spot just vacated by him. "That is not fair!" he pouted completely unsatisfied with his current situation.

"Mmmm, this spot is warm," Ginny said with a grin.

"That's it, I'm getting up." He flipped the bedclothes back and stood quickly. He walked around the end of the bed on his way to the loo.

"I'll just lie in a bit more and then…"

"Don't think so," Harry mumbled. He waved his hands over the bed and the sheets lifted immediately and with a swoosh of his arms, the bed linens pulled themselves from the footboard and piled messily on the floor.

"Eeek," Ginny dressed in her shorts and t-shirt screeched as the cold air washed over her. "No fair, I was warm!"

"So was I until you put your ice cold toes on me," he retorted. "I'm taking a nice hot shower."

Soon Ginny could hear the water cascading over his body. She ducked into the bathroom and cast a quick nonverbal cooling charm on the water causing him to shiver violently and howl in frustration. "That'll teach him," she sniggered, leaving as fast as she could to avoid any immediate retaliation.

Later in the morning, after the small scale prank war was finished, Harry and Ginny relaxed in the sunny kitchen of the beach house. Both sat at the bar finishing the last of the scones delivered by a local bakery. Ginny cleared away the wrappings and banished the dirty glasses to the sink.

Harry meanwhile, pulled the pensive closer to their side of the counter and slid the box in front of Ginny. She glanced at him and smiled, accepting the unspoken invitation. She perused the bottles, selecting one from the back corner. Ginny pulled the stopper from the mouth of the bottle and tipped it over the stone basin, letting the shimmering, glistening memory fall gracefully into the carved stone bowl.

The couple leaned forward into the fine mist of memory rolling about in the bowl, falling headfirst into the newest memory.

**Bottle Twenty-Seven**

_A much younger Harry paced back and forth nervously in the Hogwarts trophy room. The candles burning in the crystal chandelier reflected and scintillated off the various cups, trophies and plaques displayed neatly in the towering glass cases. Harry stopped pacing to study the plaque bearing his father's name, his transparent reflection staring back at him from the thick plate glass with translucent emerald green eyes._

_In the background, the Tri-Wizard Cup, sat forlornly on its carved wooden pedestal. Still smudged and dirty from its foray into the graveyard. On one handle a bloody handprint was easily discernable._

_Fleur Delacour stood stiffly by another case filled with trophies and a display of medals from an event long ago. Try as she might to appear interested in the items, her face was not able to mask the sorrow and despair she was feeling._

_The remaining live Tri-Wizard champion was sitting on a small upholstered footstool, leaning forward; face held in his hands, elbows propped on his knees. _

_The doors creaked open, causing each of the students to jerk their heads towards the door in time to see an old wizard photographer and his assistant drag a large tripod mounted camera into the room. The man's clumsy entrance was followed by the graceful arrival of Professor Dumbledore, who slipped through the open door silently, purple robes swishing gently as he walked into the room._

"_Gather around please, Ms. Delacour, Mr. Krum, Harry." The wizened old man waved his hand towards the large pedestal holding the crystal Tri-Wizard cup. "Excellent," the Headmaster exclaimed as each champion stood on a small raised platform behind the cup, allowing them to be seen behind the raised trophy._

_Ten feet away, the photographer had set up the tripod and was adjusting the lens. His assistant, a sloppily dressed, thin wizard, began to assemble the flash equipment._

"_Sir, I don't think we should be doing this. It doesn't feel right, and I don't think it's fair to Cedric's memory." Harry said sadly. Fleur and Viktor looked at each other, unsure if they agreed with the youngest champion or not._

_The photographer looked about anxiously, uncertain if he would even be able to take the photograph he was partially set up for or if he was simply wasting time and effort._

"_I disagree Harry. Oh, I'm aware that none of you is particularly happy, or even in good spirits, but this photo for the Tri-Wizard archives is, I think, desperately needed just for that reason. If there is no visual record of the competition this year, then those that compete in the future will never know the __sacrifices__ made, or of the friend lost."_

"_I agree," croaked the old photographer._

"_Shut up! You do not get a say in the matter. Only Harry, and Fleur and I have a say!" Viktor barked out. He turned to Dumbledore. "As much as I am sorry for how the tournament turned out, I do agree with the professor."_

"_Yes, ze 'hole world shall know of 'ow brave Cedric vas. Eet is our duty to make sue all zose after us know of 'es bravery," Fleur said standing between the two boys, one arm on each of their shoulders._

"_Alright," Harry relented. Fleur squeezed his shoulder in support, but Harry did not respond._

"_Yes, yes," the old photographer squeaked happily, knowing he was in fact going to finally take the picture. "Now, we need to clean up the cup a bit." He pulled his thin black wand from the side pocket of his robes and gave it a small flick._

"_Protego!" Harry shouted, brandishing his own wand. The shield deflected the photographer's cleaning charm to a dusty memorial vase in the corner that then shone as if it were new. The two remaining champions, the assistant and Dumbledore all gaped at Harry's reflexes._

"_You! Why did you do that?" The old wizard complained, pointing a long crooked finger towards Harry. "This needs to be a proper picture. The cup is a symbol of…" But he never finished the statement because Harry interrupted him._

"_Yeah, you're right. It is a symbol. It's a symbol of Cedric's death, and of the Ministry's ineptitude at keeping the tournament free of evil. It's a symbol of the sacrifices made by each of us, and of our closest friends who were used as bait in the bottom of the lake. The cup stays just as it is, so the whole world will know that this year it wasn't just about magical co-operation, it was about evil, and death…" Harry's speech ended when he ran out of steam._

"_Zee cup…Eet stays ze way it ees," Fleur straightened up to her full height. Not quite as tall as Viktor, but a good six inches taller than Harry. Harry and Viktor noticed a very fierce sensation flowing from the witch, her silvery blonde hair flowing back lightly as if caught by a small breeze, although no air moved in the stale trophy room._

.

"Wow, you can feel her Veela power coming through, even just watching it," live Harry commented.

"She's powerful, that's for sure," Ginny agreed. "Good thing Ron wasn't there, he'd have wet is knickers." The pair of them laughed good naturedly, knowing at that time in their lives the statement was most likely true.

_The three champions stood still behind the smudged and bloodied Tri-Wizard Cup. Harry stood on the left, his face full of remorse. Viktor framed the right side of the photo, a scowl of displeasure clearly visible on his features. Between them, Fleur stood proudly, but her face too was clouded in sadness. Her arms draped on each boy's shoulders, each boy with a hand behind her waist._

_A sudden 'bang', and a blinding purple flash signaled the first photograph being taken._

_._

"_Now then, how about one where we all smile, or gaze at the cup, marveling in its…" the old photographer's rambling ended as the three champions stepped down from the platform and walked together into the far corner of the room, not one of them taking the time or caring enough to even bother looking back._

"_I believe, that one will have to do," stated Dumbledore in a soft voice, yet his manner left no room for argument. _

_The photographer, accepting the rebuke, packed his case. His assistant followed suit and he too packed up. Both left silently, leaving the three students alone with the aged headmaster._

_Dumbledore approached, addressing the trio of students. "Thank you, each of you, for affording your time this afternoon. I know the tournament has held none of the glory associated with past tournaments, and for that I am truly sorry. But as champions, I can only hope each of you will take the lessons learned from this last year and apply them to your __lives; making__ each of you a better person and setting an example for your friends, families, classmates and dare I say, the magical community at large." The Headmaster nodded to each of the three champions. _

"_Now I will take my leave of you, but know that I am extremely proud of all our champions, and each of you has an open invitation to come visit Hogwarts any time the feeling strikes your fancy. I will make sure each of you receives a copy of the photo." The professor left in a swish of purple robes, leaving as silently as he had entered._

_Fleur, Viktor and Harry looked at each other._

"_I will not forget zee year we 'ave had. No, never will I forget you, my friends, or Cedric." She hugged each of them, giving both Harry and Viktor a small kiss on each cheek before turning and walking gracefully away._

"_She is strong, not just pretty," Viktor appraised the part Veela witch as she slipped out the door. He turned and focused his dark eyes on Harry. "I want to apologize to you," he said thickly. _

"_For what?" Harry replied._

"_When you were chosen, I was most certain you had cheated. It is very dishonorable at our school to do such a thing. It is more dishonorable to accuse another unjustly, and so I now ask your forgiveness, for both." Viktor, although he outweighed Harry by a considerable amount and was a good eight or nine inches taller, seemed smaller somehow._

_"Viktor, you don't need to apologize. Everyone else had it figured the same way, even my best friend." Harry tried to placate the older student._

"_But is that not a lesson we have all learned this year? That we need to make decisions on fact and not fear or lies?"_

"_I dunno, maybe," Harry shrugged his shoulders._

"_You are an honorable person Harry Potter. I hope we can be friends." Viktor offered his hand in friendship._

_Harry took his hand and the two champions exchanged handshakes. "We are friends Viktor. I'm glad we were able to meet."_

_The two boys strolled from the room side by side, each of them more a man than they had been just a few days earlier, before Cedric's death. The memory swirled and enveloped the real Harry and Ginny in a tornado of white mist._

.

Upon subsiding, the mist left them standing near the counter at the beach house on Grand Cayman Island.

Ginny, watching Harry thoughtfully, spoke first. "Do you have a copy of that photo, the one we saw being taken?"

"Yes, but I don't keep it out. It's in its envelope, in my box of letters," Harry explained. "As far as I know there are only five. Fleur, Viktor and I each got one, and Cedric's parents received one as well, the last was put in the Tri-Wizard archives at the ministry. "I doubt any of us have them out."

"Fleur does. Hers is in the guest room at Shell Cottage, on her writing desk. I saw it when I visited there with Hermione, back before my last year of school." Ginny watched for a reaction from her husband before adding, "Maybe you should too. Not in the living room or anyplace prominent, but in the spare room, on your desk at work…someplace…"

"I'm not sure Ginny. It brings back a lot of memories."

"I'm sure it does, but that's the same reason I think it should be displayed," she countered. "We don't have to decide today, but I think having that photo in your office would say a lot about who you are and who you've become. It says that Cedric didn't die in vain. He was the first casualty of the second war wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was. He didn't deserve to die, and his death was just covered up by Fudge…I think you're right love. When we get home, I'll get it and put it in my office."

"Good. I found a silver frame in the vaults, I think it would look quite right in it," Ginny suggested.

Harry went through the motions of retrieving the memory from its temporary home in the pensieve. Once it was swirling gently in its glass bottle he placed the bottle back in the velvet lined, wooden box. Ginny in turn tipped a new bottle over the pensieve, letting the next string fall into the bowl.

And as they had now done many times before, the couple entered the next memory.

**Bottle Fifteen**

_Their new surroundings, as happened many times while visiting the different memories, was very familiar. The back yard of the Burrow teemed with guests young and old, celebrating and partying on a warm summer night. Harry and Ginny wound their way through the memory crowd watching slightly younger versions of themselves dancing under the large tent. Memory Harry gave Ginny a kiss to the cheek and he wandered off to meet other guests._

_Ginny navigated her way over to a washtub filled with iced butterbeer, grabbed two and then sat at a table occupied only by Alicia Spinnet, who at the moment was trying to levitate three apples separately from the fruit basket similarly to a juggler._

"_Hey squirt," she greeted the redhead._

"_I'm not a squirt, you're just overly tall," Ginny quipped back passing her friend a fresh drink, who nodded her thanks. Ginny curled up in a large armchair conjured for the night._

"_Good turnout," Alicia commented, changing the pattern the apples wove in the air._

"_Yeah, but after the last year not many people pass up a party do they?" Ginny said as she leered at Harry ambling amongst their friends._

_Alicia giggled, "Does he have any idea what you plan to do tonight?"_

"_What?" Ginny answered, never diverting her gaze from her green-eyed boyfriend._

"_Well, to be honest, you're kind of staring at him like you want to eat him for dinner." Alicia laughed lowly. "A lioness stalking her prey."_

"_Am not." Ginny blushed, glancing at her friend._

"_Course not," The older girl dismissed Ginny's objection with a quick backhanded wave._

.

"I didn't notice it that night, but seeing it now…you were all but staking me," Harry agreed with Alicia's appraisal in the memory.

"If you'd been a little more observant I might not have had to work so hard at it," Ginny retorted playfully. "Your fault, you clueless little boy."

"Heyyy…" he pasted a fake pout on his lips. "play nice."

.

"_So the plan is?" Alicia let the fruit settle gently to rest in the basket and leaned forward, making sure their conversation could not be heard by other party goers._

_Now Ginny leaned forward, resting her elbows on the rough picnic table. "After we do presents I think he'll give me his when we're alone. Then I'll give him his present up in my room," the redhead explained._

"_And…"_

"_Then, while we're in my room the lucky boy will get his second present." Ginny smiled and watched Harry out of the corner of her eye. "I've wanted him almost all summer, but he keeps putting me off."_

"_No! Putting you off, is he mental?" Alicia shrieked softly._

"_No, just too damn noble for his own good. He promised my Mum and Dad that he and I wouldn't have sex until I was of age and not in the Burrow." Ginny groused._

"_I can't believe!" __Alicia__ gasped. "No, I can believe it. You're not going to take it lying down are you?"_

_Ginny stared at the other girl._

"_Oh, not like that!" she threw a quick jab at Ginny's shoulder, which Ginny evaded easily, stifling a giggle in the process._

"_I want him. I have for a long while, but he craves my parent's approval, and I don't want to make him go against his promise to them. But it's the last night before school starts, we won't see each other for months after tonight."_

"_So, that goes back to the original question. What's the plan?"_

"_I dunno, throw myself at him and hope his hormones are stronger than his noble streak?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders, but a smile graced her lips as Harry joined them at the table._

"_Hi, can a seeker sit here or is this a chasers only table?" he asked, making sure to give Ginny a wink._

"_Supposed to be just chasers, but you can sit if you pay the tax." Ginny pointed to her cheek and Harry dutifully kissed it allowing him to sit at the now christened chaser's table._

_Alicia__ stood up from her seat. "I'm headed over to see Lee Jordan, catch you two later." Harry and Ginny replied "Okay," in unison._

"_Squirt, don't push too hard. Promise?" she made sure the younger chaser nodded her understanding. "And Harry, here," she levitated the largest apple from the basket and he grasped it swiftly. "You may need your strength." She winked at Ginny, leaving the young couple alone._

.

"I had nightmares that night."

"I remember," Ginny said. "I like how it all turned out. Sure it took me two months and a slew of detentions, but when we did get together we spent the entire night in each other's arms, I wouldn't change it."

"Really?" Harry questioned in surprise.

"Yes, except maybe without the second detention." Ginny finished.

"If I hadn't had the nightmares, would you have tried?" Harry asked timidly.

"Yes."

"Even though it meant me breaking my promise to your parents?"

Ginny paused, her brow wrinkling as she mulled over the question. It was a long few seconds of silence before she answered. "I…I never thought of it that way…I wasn't very sensitive to your wishes was I?" Ginny said quietly.

"We were younger then, and it wasn't like I didn't want to," Harry explained.

"I tried several times that summer, but you always asked me to stop."

"Which, you always did. And that's good, because if you'd really pushed or tried harder I think I would have given in," Harry said.

"I never considered not stopping. It was more important to me to honor your request than to push forward. But Merlin you drove me crazy that summer. All the running and working out was defining your muscles… You spent about half of every day sweaty and shirtless…"

"You were kind of…distracted…"

"Distracted? Is that a polite way of saying I was a hormone crazed, teenage witch with nothing but lust on my mind?"

"If I answer yes, will my exemption to sit at the chaser's table be revoked?"

"Yes," Ginny warned.

Harry shrugged as if it didn't matter. "Yes."

"I won't revoke your exemption…too much paperwork." She flashed him a smile and reached for another bottle from the wooden box. She turned it to see the label. "Number seven."

The memories were swapped in the pensieve and soon the couple touched their noses to the misty contents, falling headlong into the next bit of stored time.

**Bottle Seven**

Milky white surroundings settled out, leaving Harry and Ginny in one of their favorite places, the Gryffindor common room.

.

_Nearly every member of the house stood chatting happily with friends, dancing, or drinking. The partying inhabitants of the common room let loose an earsplitting roar of approval in reaction to a younger Harry and Ginny entering from the portrait hole, holding hands._

_Each blushed furiously at the shouted exclamations from their friends._

"_Hey Harry, gonna snog 'er again for us?" Colin crowed from where he sat with Demelza._

"_Yeah mate, you seemed to like it before, but then you ran off and hid," Jimmy Peakes teased the pair._

"_Stuff it you two. I'll kiss Ginny when I feel like it. Not when either of you say I should."_

"_Do I get a say in this?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at her new boyfriend. "Because I think we need to kiss again," she said, pulling Harry to her for a lengthy snog. The kiss continued well past the point that it should have if either of them cared about politeness._

_More loud cheers finally got the couple to break apart and catch their breath._

.

"Long kiss that was," Harry watching the scene remarked.

"Uhh huhh," Ginny mumbled, touching her lips with her fingertips as if the kiss were happening today and not in the past.

.

_Focusing back on the memory, their memory selves separated for a bit, Seamus rushed through the room grabbing several Gryffindor boys along the way and running up the stairs cursing. Harry followed a little later, curious as to the events unfolding in the dorm._

_Hermione in the memory walked over to a grinning Ginny, who'd perched on the arm of the largest sofa, sipping a fresh butterbeer._

"_So I'm assuming you and Harry talked about the match?" Hermione questioned, keeping her tone even as if she knew she was right. The teasing sparkle in her eyes gave away any chance of Ginny not recognizing her friend's joke._

"_Tease me all you want. Nothing can bring me down from the high I'm on right now," the younger witch said happily. "__C'mon upstairs__ and we can talk."_

_Hermione followed Ginny up the stairs, pulling real Harry and Ginny with them._

.

"I'll finally get to see the girl's dorms!" Harry spluttered in excitement.

.

_The girls pushed the door open to reveal the holy grail of every red blooded boy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Four beds arranged similarly to those in his own dorm stood against the curved walls. Trunks sat on benches placed at the foot of each bed and he noticed the wardrobes were set up a bit differently. The room was certainly cleaner than the boy's dorm, it didn't have the smell of socks of course and the various perfumes and soaps gave the room a pleasant air. He noticed more clothing, clean clothing, stacked about on chairs and became keenly aware of the complete lack of dirty clothes laying about._

Real Harry sighed. The room was devoid of all the items his fantasies had promised. No half dressed girls laying on their beds gossiping, no silky or lace knickers hanging from the bed .

posts, no skimpy nighties in view. All in all he found the experience a little disappointing.

"What, not what you thought it would be?" Ginny teased him after hearing his sigh of disappointment.

"No, er, yeah. I just thought it would be different."

"Sorry to ruin it for you, other than some of Demelza's muggle romance novels lying about, the rooms are the same as the boys. Well except that we aren't slobs."

.

_While perusing the girl's dorm he also saw the bed hangings were a bit fancier. Each set of hangings and linens featured edging of gold lace, except for one bed. The lace from the hangings and bedclothes was gone and whoever had done so was quite proficient with severing charms, he could not spot a single loose thread. _

_Ginny hopped onto the bed without lace and dove face first into her pillows screaming at the top of her lungs "HE KISSED ME 'MIONE! HE EFFING KISSED ME IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE HOUSE!" the shouts muffled by the pillows._

_"Muffliato!" Hermione cast a quick charm for privacy._

_"AHHHHHHHH!" Ginny kicked her feet while screaming happily into her pillows. "I KISSED HARRY POTTER!"_

_Hermione, grinning widely, sat patiently on the bed waiting for Ginny to calm herself enough to carry on an actual conversation. "So, Ginny, are we going to talk or do you want to continue on with your imitation of a crazy woman?"_

_Ginny sat up abruptly, her hair wildly flying about her shoulders. "Pinch me," she directed her friend, staring at her. Hermione reached across the bed and grasped a thick section of Ginny's forearm between her fingers._

"_OUCH!" Ginny smiled. "That hurt, so I'm not dreaming…right?"_

"_No, I do believe you're wide awake, even if you are acting a bit mental." Hermione sat up, cross-legged on the bed._

_Ginny settled down, but the smile never left her freckled face. "He kissed me Hermione…" she sat in a similar fashion, so close their knees almost touched._

_"I think the whole of Gryffindor House is aware of that by now," the bushy haired brunette commented. "I'm so happy for you Ginny." Hermione reached forward and hugged her younger friend gently. Ginny returned the hug, releasing it a short time later, but the pair kept holding hands loosely._

_"We went down to the courtyard…I'm assuming we walked, but I don't remember taking a single step. We kissed again, standing by the fountain. We made it all the way through the cycle!" Ginny said proudly._

_"Through the cycle?" Hermione questioned._

"_The legend…you don't know? Well, back in the…a long time ago a couple in love was kissing by the fountain, they were found out by a jealous witch who the boy had courted. She placed a 'lovers curse' on them that only allowed them to kiss chastely. They couldn't kiss passionately and eventually broke up, granting the jealous witch her revenge. So the legend says that if you kiss through the entire cycle of sprays without breathing or breaking the kiss, then you will be free of the 'lovers curse', get married and live a long and happy life." Ginny explained._

"_Ginny, that can't be true, if it was I would have read about it in Hogwarts a History," Hermione replied in a tone that suggested she knew she was right. "Besides how long does it take to go through all four cycles?" she added._

_I asked Dumbledore about it and he'd heard of it, so had Professor Flitwick." Ginny shrugged. "Lavender timed the cycles once, it took two minutes and fifty-two seconds."_

"_I don't believe it. I can go check, just let me get my copy of…" she began to get up._

"_No you don't Hermione Jean Granger! You are staying right here." Ginny pulled her hand sharply, causing Hermione to fall back into a sitting position in front of her. "Now where was I...Right…Then he led me down by the lake where we sat down near a copse of trees. We talked about this year, and the summer, playing two a side quidditch and how he'd started to notice me. He wanted to do something sooner, but was worried about Ron." Ginny closed her eyes thinking back over the last few hours spent alone with Harry._

"_And we kissed, twenty-three times, befo…"_

_"You counted?" Hermione asked incredulous at the confession. Ginny nodded._

_"Then he started in about how we should behave. But I nixed his ideas right away. I told him I didn't care what anybody else thought. That if I wanted to snog him in the Great Hall I would, or on the quidditch pitch, or the greenhouses. And that I wanted him to hold my hand, regardless of who was around. And I wanted to find out what the inside of every broom closet in the castle looked like. Well, you get the idea. Then I kissed him hard."_

"_What did he say to all that?"_

"_Well nothing, we kissed for quite a while. But when we came up for air he said he was fine with it all because, and I quote…kissing you is the most brilliant thing I've ever done in my life." She said the words slowly letting herself fall back onto her pillow, reliving the memory._

"_Wow," Hermione mumbled._

_She sat up abruptly. "Yeah, I thought so too. And then we talked about me, and him and classes and quidditch, but not the game, and about a million other things I can't remember. But I'll always remember his smile. It wasn't forced, or reserved like usual. He's so handsome when he smiles and his eyes sparkle. I swear his eyes changed to a whole 'nother color green." Ginny sighed contentedly._

"_Sounds like a good start."_

"_Right before we came back up here he asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend, like he wanted to make it formal."_

"_And?"_

"_I kissed him again. He said he counted that as a yes…Cheeky little bugger."_

_"Look, Ginny, being with Harry isn't always easy, he's moody and he gets in these funks of depression…" Hermione's tone became serious as she attempted to explain._

_Ginny stopped her. "I know Hermione, but maybe I can help him with that."_

_Hermione smiled. "I think you might be the only one who can. Ron or I can't and we're closer to him than anyone, until today."_

_"No you three are still closer…"_

_This time Hermione interrupted. "Did he talk about himself with you?"_

_Ginny chewed her lip, thinking. "Yes he did, but not much, just a little."_

"_Exactly, see Ginny, in six years he's never talked about himself to me, or to Ron either I expect. He and Ron and I will always be very close. We're his best friends, but you're the one he chose to open up to."_

"_Hermione…Harry kissed me." Ginny smiled._

.

The white fog rolled in obscuring the girls' dorm, and swirling about them, and when it abated the couple was left once again at Hogwarts.

.

_Harry was sitting in the common room. Various classmates walked by discussing the upcoming day's classes. Some, like Seamus took the chance to tease Harry about kissing Ginny in front of the whole of Gryffindor house a few days earlier. Hermione smiled when he looked up at her from his spot on the sofa. _

"_May I," she asked a few seconds after sitting next to him, dropping her bag on the floor beside the end table.._

"_Sure, I'm just waiting for Ginny to go down for breakfast," he glanced up towards the stairs as a group of fourth year girls came down._

"_We haven't talked since the now-famous kiss." Hermione smiled. "Are things going good with Ginny?"_

"_Please Hermione, like you don't know. I'm sure Ginny is telling you all about it," Harry countered._

"_We talk a little, but overall she says very little. She's very protective of you."_

_"She is?" Harry questioned, but his face showed how pleased he was to garner that bit of knowledge._

_"Yes, but I'm more concerned about you. How are you doing?"_

_"My cheeks hurt. I didn't know cheeks could hurt just from smiling." He grinned sheepishly. "I bet everyone's having a good laugh at me, but I don't care. Ginny, she…I'm happy any time I'm with her."_

_"I can tell, and I don't think they're laughing at you. From what I can tell, to a person, everyone in the school is happy for you," Hermione advised him._

_"Yesterday was the first day in my life that I didn't think about Voldemort, since I learned who he was. The first time since I was eleven, that I didn't think about him, or him killing my parents, or how to stop him. All I thought about in my spare time was Ginny…and I liked it."_

_"Well, I should expect you to like it. Ginny is an exceptional witch, she's smart, pretty, tough, kind, funny…"_

_"Hermione, I know all the great things about Ginny. Why do you think I snogged her to begin with?" Harry said in exasperation, still smiling._

_"She's very good for you Harry." Hermione glanced towards the stairs from the girls' dorm when another group of girls emerged. "So, to my original question…How are you?"_

"_I'm fine," he answered._

"_Good." Hermione grinned broadly, knowing for the very first time Harry was indeed, fine._

.

The couple felt the memory thin out, letting the silvery mist absorb them and deposit them back in the sunlit kitchen of Kingsley's beach house.

"So we finally saw Hermione's," Harry said collecting the memory with his wand and slowly sliding it back into its bottle.

"Yeah, I remember that day. Demelza and the others all called me such a 'girl'. I tried on three blouses before I picked one I liked. They teased me because normally I just picked something that matched and put it on, but that day it took me thirty minutes to dress."

"You didn't have to wear a blouse on my account," Harry winked.

"Please, if I'd have come down without a top, you'd have fainted and we'd have had to take you up to the hospital wing," Ginny said waving her hand dismissively at him.

"Just about fainted the first time anyway." He smiled mischievously. "You are so beautiful." He closed the distance between them and lowered his lips to hers, kissing her as thoroughly as he had after winning the cup in the common room. His fingers wound in her soft auburn locks, piled into a messy bun, held in place by her wand stuck through the center an a slight angle. His fingers dislodged the bun, letting her hair cascade down to her shoulders. He released her unkempt hair and slipped his hands down her sides before settling at her waist where he gripped her firmly, and continued the kisses for several minutes.

Ginny, pulled back, breathing hard after the enthusiastic kisses. "Do you remember?" She slipped her wand from disheveled hair, and placed the tip to her temple. She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the memory slide out and wind gently around the tip of her wand. She stirred the extracted strand of memory into the pensieve, smiling at Harry as she let the silvery mist curl within the confines of the bowl.

Ginny took Harry's hand, and the pair leaned into the pensieve, falling into Ginny's memory.

.

_An almost eighteen year old Harry and a nearly seventeen year old Ginny walked through the garden of the Burrow holding hands, each dressed comfortably in cut off shorts and t-shirts. Ginny's hand me down Cannons shirt, several sizes too large, covered her arms down to her elbows. Harry's shirt had the sleeves cut off to create a rough tank top._

"_Done folding the laundry?" Molly asked the happy couple._

"_Yes Mum, and we changed all the sheets too. Can we go now? We want to fly out to the back pond while it's still getting sun on it," Ginny said._

_Molly peered at both of her children, knowing whatever they got up to back at the pond was most likely not the way she wanted them to be behaving. "I suppose you can, but…"_

_"Thanks Mum!" Ginny squealed. "Come on Harry!" they dropped hands and raced to the dilapidated old broom closet._

_"Yes, well, behave yourselves…DID YOU HEAR ME?" Molly shouted as both teens mounted their brooms. _

_"Yes Mum, we heard you," Ginny called back, rolling her eyes at Harry._

"_If I come back there and you're…oh never mind… like I could stop you," Molly muttered as the memory left the back yard. _

.

The real Harry and Ginny were pulled along as the memory streaked to the orchard, down the lane and through the makeshift quidditch pitch. The couple landed on the far side of the pitch and strolled towards the grassy shore of the Burrow's pond. The pair watching the memory followed behind, watching their younger selves holding hands again.

.

_Each teen pulled off their shirt and tossed it on the bank of the pond. Harry in the memory (and live Harry too) watched as Ginny now dressed in just her cut-offs and a dark blue bikini top waded into the pond. Harry jumped in creating a large wave that splashed over Ginny's torso. _

_She splashed him back in retaliation, causing him to laugh. The couple spent a happy few minutes splashing each other before Harry dove under water and popped back up right behind her._

_He grabbed her from behind and she squealed in delight at his firm hug. She spun around and kissed him. He tried to kiss her back but she dove and swam away from him. The game of kiss tag played out for a few more minutes, ending when Ginny tiredly walked back on shore and conjured a large woolen blanket, lying back to sun herself._

_Harry left the pond as well, joining her on the blanket. Once he had his eyes closed Ginny leaned over him, her hair swishing across his chest and kissed him softly._

_Harry grabbed her and pulled her on top of his chest quickly. She giggled and the young couple kissed passionately, running their hands up and down each others bare torsos, Harry's hands encumbered only slightly by the thin strings of Ginny's top._

_Ginny shifted so she was straddling Harry's hips more and leaning over his chest. Harry snaked his hands around her back, accidentally loosening the string on her top. Ginny sighed into the increasingly passionate kisses. Harry moved from her lips to her jaw line and neck. Ginny burrowed her nose into the crook of his shoulder, giving him a nip on the neck. He sat up more, so Ginny was now sitting on his lap, legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck._

_The bottom string of her top fell completely loose. "Sorry Gin, your top came loose a little," Harry mumbled._

"_I'm not." She leaned back a touch and pulled her top off over her head and tossed it to the side. Harry in the memory stared at her now bare chest, mouth slightly open._

.

"Yup, complete shock," Ginny watching the scene remarked with a giggle.

"Can't blame me," Harry added. "I'd never…just in my dreams…and real life was better than my dreams"

"It was?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Oh yeah."

.

_Ginny in the memory used an index finger to close his mouth and then kept lifting so Harry's gaze was now on her face instead of her chest. "Harry, you alright love?" She asked, giving him a small kiss. He nodded his head. "Good."_

"_Merlin you're beautiful," Harry murmured._

"_I'm glad you think so." Ginny kissed him. His hands began to wander towards her chest tentatively, in an excruciatingly slow pattern of caresses. Ginny smiled and placed her hands on the backs of his, guiding his quidditch roughened hands to the parts of her body she'd just given him permission to explore._

.

The memory swirled as it ended, bringing the real Harry and Ginny back to the present day and time.

Harry smiled. "You are still the most beautiful woman I've ever met," he said truthfully.

"Thanks."

"And you will be for the rest of my life," he added with complete sincerity.

Ginny nodded her acceptance, knowing he was telling her the truth.


	8. Chapter 8 Bottles 18, 30, 6

**Disclaimer Again-** Hi, lets not ever forget that JKR created this wonderful world we're all playing. In as much that its her sandbox, we should play by her rules. All the toys (people, places, things, plots) that were in the sandbox when we got here are hers. Any toys we brought with us(original plots, characters, things, places) belong to the person who brought them. We all know this right. And we should never charge anyone for playing in JKR's sandbox.

And a note - sorry for the delay in posting. Nasty virus got through all 3 anti-virus programs and munched my O/S but I'm back to posting.

.

**Bottles Eighteen, Thirty and Six**

Harry Potter had a dilemma. Not a life threatening decision mind you, but none the less a decision weighed heavily upon his chest; should he get a fresh drink from the beachside vendor, or not. Sure he was thirsty, but if he wanted a drink he'd have to leave his spot on the blanket where he and Ginny lay, absorbing the bright sun's warming rays. He let his head loll over to the left and checked the vendor.

A bespectacled old man stood in the shade provided by an enormous red and white striped umbrella, attached to the apple red concession cart. Harry watched as the man pulled a frozen fruit bar from the depths of the cart and handed it over to the young girl waiting for the treat. Her father passed the man a couple bills and the daughter skipped happily away, pulling her father along as she left.

'I don't want to get up, I just want to lay here with Gin,' his body made its stance known. He was amazed that after three days in Grand Cayman he was still more interested in doing nothing than going out to find some new activity. He swallowed and his dry throat made a different request. 'I need to get something to drink though,' his decision wavered.

Harry lifted up so he was reclining on his elbows to get a better view of their surroundings. Tall palms stood sentry where the soft sand met grass and rocks defining the beach's inland boundary. White sand stretched sixty feet down to the water's edge, and to his left and right the sand stretched out of sight. Two places to the left, a middle aged couple reclined in weathered chaise lounges, listening to the muggle radio. The last strains of song faded, replaced by the announcer's voice. "…another warm day. We are expecting a cold front later but it won't get to the island until evening. Swells are anticipated to be in the two to three meter range with winds from the northwest. Tomorrow the storm should clear out by mid morning, with temperatures in the low seventies Fahrenheit." Harry tuned out the rest of the forecast and cast a glance to his right. Ginny lay sprawled on her stomach, breathing slowly, her top was undone to avoid tan lines. Harry's shadow fell across her shoulders.

"Heyyy, whaass-up?" she said lazily. "Yurrr blockin' my sun."

"Sorry, thinking about getting a drink."

She turned to face him, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the sunshine. "Can you get me one of the frozen lemon pops, please?" She stretched her legs and pointed her toes, while stretching her arms out above her head, before letting her body relax.

"Sure Love," Harry answered fishing in the beach bag for his wallet. He found it, stood and made his way across the white sand beach to the vendor. After purchasing the lemon ice for Ginny and an iced tea for himself he returned to the blanket. Ginny was now sitting up, having retied her top.

"Thanks.," she said, pulling her long hair over her shoulder as he handed her the frozen lemon pop.

"Anything for you milady," Harry replied, bowing deeply and sweeping his arm in a grand gesture.

Ginny giggled at his overdone reply. "Did you know I love you?"

"Yes," he answered, taking a sip of his drink. He checked the battered old wristwatch he'd received from the Weasleys for his seventeenth birthday. "We've been out here for about three hours. Do you want to stay here or do some more sightseeing?"

"Can we go back to the turtle farm?" she asked hopefully, munching on her frozen treat.

"I thought you'd want to do another dive today?" he countered, taking another long sip of his iced tea.

"I don't think we should. Remember, Kingsley said we shouldn't dive the day before we apparate back. It throws off our body's equilibrium making it easier to splinch. And I don't want to take any chances on that."

"Too true, I don't want you getting splinched and losing parts either, especially any of your important parts." Harry's eyes twinkled as he tried in vain to decide which of Ginny's parts his favorite was.

She stood up to face him, taking another bite of the half finished lemon pop in her right hand. "Which parts would be the most important then? Is there a particular part you like better than the others?" Her bright brown eyes caught his as she teased him by leaning forward and kissing him with frozen lips, making sure her bikini clad chest rubbed his bare chest in the process.

"Hey, no fair, you're doing that on purpose," he complained playfully, swatting her on the rear.

She glared at him momentarily before her face returned to its smile. "Careful there Potter, you know swatting my bum, can get you hexed," she warned.

"What can I say, I'm living on the edge." he smiled and gave Ginny a soft kiss, followed by another soft swat on the bottom. "So, turtle farm then? You're sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I like the baby ones, they're so cute."

Harry couldn't help but grin. Ginny could be such a contrast in human behavior. Here she was, a star player in a dangerous game, a girl who would and did fight to the death during the war. She hardly ever cried, and yet she was still enamored with the small turtles because they were, in her own words, cute. How could he not love her?

"Okay, we can go from here." Ginny pulled on a pair of cutoff shorts and T-shirt, Harry pulled a T-shirt on as well, before packing their towels into the beach bag. Harry stowed the bundle in the side bag of his chopper and mounted the motorcycle. Ginny climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his lean torso.

"Harry, when we're done visiting the turtles can we go back and do some more of the memories?" She had to speak loudly to be heard over the staccato notes of the chopper's exhaust. He nodded and let out the clutch, sending the couple down the road quickly with a screech of tires and roar of the engine.

It was two hours later, when Ginny's need to play with the little turtles was quenched, the couple once again climbed aboard Harry's chopper for the trip to the beach house. In the distance near the horizon the first grey clouds of the approaching storm could be seen on the horizon to the west. They stopped at a small deli and ordered sandwiches for lunch. After the brief stop the couple once again climbed on the chopper for the short ride back to the beach house.

By the time Harry was changed from his swimsuit to shorts and a T-shirt, Ginny was excitedly waiting by the pensieve with three more of the small crystal vials set out for viewing.

Harry chuckled. "Not eager are you?" He gave her forehead a quick kiss when he reached her.

"Prat," she giggled. "Yes, I'm a little eager. It's been more fun than I thought it would be, seeing everyone's take on our relationship."

"I agree, sometimes we're so close to things we don't see them the same as others do. We use that concept quite a bit in Auror training, taking a step back and looking the situation over from a different perspective."

Ginny nodded. "I ran into Kingsley the other day in Diagon Alley. He told me that you've been top in the class for just about everything, in some cases setting the highest marks ever seen."

"What!" Harry exclaimed. "I know I'm doing well, but they've not said anything to me about highest marks ever. I know I'm at the top of my class, but highest ever?"

Ginny shrugged. "It's what he said, and it didn't feel to me like he was having me on. He said you and Sydney may be the best team he's ever seen. The two of you must be doing very well for the Minister to know about it. And I know that you two being taken on actual missions before finishing the training program is all but unheard of, but its happening."

Now it was Harry's turn to shrug. "Sydney and I do match up pretty good. You know it means a lot to me that you don't get all crazy about me having a woman as a partner. And it says even more about your character that the two of you have become friends. It makes my job easier, so thanks."

"Harry I trust you completely, I can't imagine any scenario in which I wouldn't trust you. And I trust Sydney too. For me it just isn't an issue," Ginny explained. "Now, can we pleeease do the next bottles?"

Harry smiled, giving a quick nod of permission. Ginny opened the next bottle and let the memory slide gently into the pensieve. She and Harry both tipped their faces to the rolling, misty liquid and fell into the next memory.

**Bottle Eighteen**

_Fleur, singing softly to baby Victoire bundled safely in her arms, walked gracefully into the sitting room of the Burrow. Arthur, Molly and Hermione were discussing something near the large fireplace that dominated one wall of the comfortable room. She stood, perusing the room and was just turning to go when Ginny came into the room with a searching look on her face as well. _

_Ginny, wearing a Harpies jumper and medium length denim skirt, glanced about, the object of her search not present. Fleur spoke first. "Hello Ginny."_

"_Hi Fleur, have you seen Harry?" _

"_No, I 'ave not. I saw him go with zee Minister a bit ago. 'Ave you seen my Bill?"_

"_Sorry, I haven't. I'm sure he's around," Ginny said reassuringly. "But I see my favorite niece." Ginny stepped closer and leaned over to grace Victoire with a light kiss to the top of her head, strawberry blonde hair shining in the warm lamplight. "May I?" Ginny inquired, hopefully._

"_But of course, she loves 'er Aunt Ginny." Fleur shifted her arms allowing Ginny to take the quiet little girl from her mother. Ginny cradled her niece lovingly and the two women sat in the living room on either side of the fireplace, the fire crackling merrily, keeping the cool night air at bay. The other occupants of the room left for the kitchen, mentioning something about getting more tea ready, leaving the two witches alone._

.

"I remember this, it was the party after we got through with the trial," Ginny said. "Fleur and I had a talk."

"About what?" Harry asked.

"Watch and see." Ginny took his hand as the couple watched those in the Burrow's sitting room continue on in the memory.

.

"_You are okay Ginny?" Fleur smiled as she spoke, seeing her daughter snuggle into Ginny's warmth signaling that she wouldn't need to get up soon, she tucked her legs under her._

_Ginny breathed heavily. "I suppose I'm doing alright. I was looking for Harry."_

"_I understand, I 'ave not wanted to be separated from my Bill for too long eezer."_

_Ginny nodded. "Yeah, after the trial, Harry and I didn't let go of each others hands for the rest of the night."_

"_Eet was worse for you, not being with us. But 'ow you did your part so well, made eet easier on 'Arry. He was not so worried about you. He was concerned, but zat was eet. If eet was me, I think I will 'ave lost my 'ead in worry."_

"_I was worried about him, well all of you, but I knew I had a job to do and I wanted to drive the arses responsible mental if I could. Nobody goes after Harry without answering to me, nobody," she stated firmly. Victoire squirmed uncomfortably at the edge in Ginny's voice. She brushed her fingers along the young girl's hairline to soothe her back to sleep._

"_Yes, I know zee feeling. I am very protective of Bill in zee same way. It eez instinct to protect zose we love, yes?"_

_Ginny nodded. "While we were trapped, I was scared, sometimes more than the year I was stuck at school. Sure, I put up a brave front and said I could handle it, wanted him to stop coddling me…but I realized something…It's pretty easy to be brave when you know the other person has you covered. _

"_But, you were also brave at zee school, when 'Arry was not there to 'elp you," Fleur countered. "I think you 'ave more courage in you zen most of zee men who claim to be so brave."_

"_When I look back over the last few years I can't believe some of the things I've done, whether they be brave or daft."_

"You are not daft Ginny, and you know eet."

"_Please, look how I bolloxed up his first proposal, and I hexed him when he came home after the war. And even before the war…I was so mean to you, and I didn't have a reason to be that way. I was horrible sometimes…"_

"Was this the first time you ever talked to her about that summer?" Harry asked as he watched the memory play out.

"Shhhhh, just watch," Ginny whispered in reply.

"_At zee beginning, no you were not very nice to me. But Bill, he explained eet. You were trying to protect him in zee only way you knew 'ow. You did not want your brozzer to leave."_

_"But you loved, still love, him and I didn't see it," Ginny said apologetically._

_"No, you did not, because you were not yet a woman who knew love." Fleur gave Ginny a forgiving smile. "But now, you are a woman who knows love, yes?"_

_"Yes, now all I need to do is learn how to be a proper wife."_

"_Zere is no such thing." Fleur said waving the thought away with her hand. _

_"Huh? I mean I can cook pretty well. But my cleaning charms are nowhere near as good as my Mum's and I don't really know how to organize a kitchen…"_

_The older witch stopped Ginny's rambling. "Stop! And why eez eet you think eet eez up to you to know these things? Being a wife is not about zee laundry and having zee supper on zee table."_

_"But my Mum…she's made it out to be important. And I know you do those things for Bill."_

_"Yes I do some of zose things for Bill, but eet is not because I am zee wife."_

_"No?" Ginny questioned shifting so Victoire was now resting on her other shoulder._

"_No, being a good wife or 'usband is not about zee chores. Eet is about doing your best to help zee ozzer person. If they need food, you feed zem. If they needs support you encourage zem. If they need a swift kick in zee arse, then you give zem zat too."_

_Ginny giggled. "So do you have to give Bill a good kick every now and then?"_

_Now it was Fleur's turn to smile. "Sometimes…You Weasleys are zo stubborn."_

"_So you don't think there's any such thing as a good wife?" __Ginny__ asked, full of natural curiosity, wanting to know more about this differing opinion on just what made a successful marriage._

"_No, I think zere is such a thing as a good spouse, but not a good wife. Eet is about being the ozzer half of your mate. Your Mozzer stayed at 'ome and did zee things required for her 'usband to be successful. And I do zee things Bill needs, just as you 'ave learned zee things to 'elp 'Arry."_

_Ginny nodded, but remained silent, willing the part-Veela witch to continue. Fleur, recognizing the silence continued her thoughts. "By zee same token, 'Arry must learn to do zee things zat 'elp you to be your best. If you need 'elp in training for zee 'Arpies, or organizing a dinner… or if you need zee good shag." Fleur grinned mischievously. "Zere eez no set of rules, eet is as different as each couple."_

.

"Hey I like the sound of that, we need a good shag." Real Harry reached out and pulled Ginny closer, her back to his chest, and wrapped both arms around her, slipping his fingertips under the waistband of her shorts.

"Stop it!" she shushed him, pulling his fingers free. "And we've been shagging like three times a day since we got here, what else can you possibly want?"

"Four times a day?" he joked. His smile was brought to a quick end when she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hush and watch," she admonished him.

.

"_So my Mum did the housework because that's what Dad needed. How will I know what Harry needs?"_

"_Ginny, do you not see eet? You do zeese things already. You support 'im. You relax his nerves before zee quidditch games, as he does yours. You let 'im fight for you, yet you watched his back. And you let 'im lean on you in zee way zat he does not even realize he eez doing eet. And zee most important thing, you let 'im love you."_

"_I do all that?" Ginny questioned herself aloud._

"_Yes Ginny, you do. And he does zee same type things for you. Zee two of you 'ave been married since zee night when you reconciled. Zee only thing lacking is zee ceremony."_

_Ginny wrinkled her nose as she mulled over Fleur's observation. "Maybe…I know he does anything he can to help me, even little things like feeding Arnold when I'm away. And I guess I do the same thing for him...I don't really think about doing stuff for him, I just kinda do it…" She turned when she heard footsteps from the doorway._

_Harry walked into the room with a sleeping Teddy in his arms. The small boy's head rested on Harry's shoulder, both arms thrown around his neck. His normally colorful hair was its natural mousy brown color, proving just how deeply he was sleeping. "Hey Gin, I'm going to floo him over to Andromeda's and then I'll be home."_

_"Harry, if you want he can come with us. He might like waking up at the carriage house. It'll let him see everything is going back to normal._

_Bill arrived in the room as she finished speaking, and Andromeda also entered, making the room feel crowded._

"_Ginny said we can take him with us if you'd like a night off." Harry looked at Teddy's grandmother, who nodded her acceptance of the offer. _

"_That is more than fine Harry, Ginny. I'm sure he'll like it. His bag is in the kitchen, although I think you have as many things for him as I do. Have a nice night." She flooed away in a wash of green flame._

_Bill helped Fleur up and then took his daughter from his sister. "Goodnight Harry, Ginny."_

"_Goodnight Bill," they returned together._

_Fleur and Ginny hugged each other firmly. Bill and Harry looked at the women embracing and then each other, not sure of what exactly had changed between the two women, but each understood the two women were closer now than they had been in the past._

.

The memory swirled away in a swirl of white mist and green flames as Fleur and Bill flooed away. The green tint faded rapidly until the misty swirls were once again pristine white. The milky fog then evaporated to reveal a warm kitchen.

.

_Fleur stood at the small kitchen table, busily wrapping several gifts, using her wand to orchestrate tying the bows from the silver and gold ribbons adorning each present._

_A knock at the kitchen door interrupted her work. The bows continued to tie themselves as she crossed the room to let the visitor in._

"_Oh, 'Arry eet eez so good to see you." Fleur threw both arms around Harry as he entered carrying a wrapped gift of his own. "I 'ave missed you 'Arry."_

.

"When was this? It's the one she picked for you, so you must recognize it." Ginny cast a quick look at Harry to watch his reaction to the scene unfolding before them.

"I do. It's the day I brought over Viktor's wedding present for her to take to him, since I wasn't going to the wedding."

.

"_Hi Fleur," Harry mumbled, letting the witch continue the hug._

"_Come and sit. Victoire eez napping so we 'ave some time to talk." She motioned him towards one of the polished wooden chairs by the table. He took the offered chair while Fleur summoned the tea set and a plate of muffins from the counter across the room. Once both were seated she asked him. "So, 'Arry, why eez eet you do not want to go to Viktor's wedding? You and he are good friends, no?"_

"_We are, but I don't think I'd be much fun to have there. It's better to just stay away."_

"_Stay away. Like you 'ave done all summer to me and your ozzer friends?" she challenged his actions through the summer so far._

"_Look, I didn't come here to defend myself or explain things. I came to drop by a gift. That's it. No more, no less." Harry glared at the blonde witch seated across from him._

"_So that ees eet? After all theez time I am nothing more zan a post owl? NO! I do not accept such treatment." She roughly set her cup down on the table, rattling the tea set._

_"Fleur, you're still my friend…"_

_"Zen you treat me as such! I knew you before you and Ginny were togezzer. I did not know zat my friendship with you ees dependent on zee relationship you 'ave with Ginny. If eet ees, zen I need to rethink our friendship. And Viktor should rethink his too." Her Veela power was raging and Harry saw just how beautifully frightening she could be._

_He bowed his head in defeat, placing his head in his hands. "I'm sorry…I should have just owled the stupid gift. I'll get out of your hair." He stood to leave._

_"Arry, I do not want you to leave. I want you to stay. I miss you." She stood as well, and gently took his shoulder in her hand. "Why do you shut out all your friends?"_

"_It's just easier to be alone." He slipped from under her hand and took __a few__ steps away to stand by the coat rack, where he turned to face her._

"_Arry, you are not alone except by your own choice. I 'ave not pushed you away, nor has Bill, Ron, Molly or Arthur."_

"_That's it, see? It's my choice, and…"_

"_And to be 'onest 'Arry, your choice…eet stinks." She put extra emphasis on the final two words, driving the point home._

"_What do you want me to say Fleur? Do you want me to say that every day I want to find her, and shake her until she sees what she's doing to me? Or that I wake up all but hating the person I love the most? Does anyone really want to know how close I've come to just saying to hell with the whole world and finding someplace to live where nobody has ever heard of Harry Potter?" He paused to grab a hurried breath._

"_Or how I would give everything right now just to have her hold me and have her say she does still love me? Or that…that if she decides she doesn't I have absolutely no idea how I'll survive?" His voice softened and slowed cadence as he finished his rant._

"_Yes 'Arry. Zat eez exactly what I want to 'ear." She closed the distance and took Harry by the shoulders. "We are friends 'Arry Potter." She smiled at him and embraced him. After the brief hug she pulled back, continuing to smile at him. "We are zee only two members of zee family wizzout zee red 'air. We 'ave to stick togezzer, no?"_

"_Okay, you win." Harry chuckled. "Zose of us 'wizzout zee red 'air' will have to steek togezzer," he said using a horrible French accent._

"_We will 'ave to find you a proper tutor for zee French. And if Ginny needs a push I will get a Veela cousin to 'elp you." Fleur gave a dazzling smile to Harry._

_Harry couldn't help but smile back and wondered if her Veela charm could affect him after all._

"_Thank you for coming by 'Arry. I will make sure Viktor and Anastasia get zee present, and give zem your well wishes."_

"_Thanks Fleur, for the talk. I needed it." Harry pulled open the door and left Shell Cottage. Fleur turned back to the empty room. In the background the chopper could be heard roaring off into the distance._

.

The memory ended and in a few moments both Harry and Ginny were returned to the kitchen looking resolutely into the pensive.

Ginny spoke first. "Hmmm, I wasn't expecting those from Fleur. I thought she'd give us some fluffy memory of us hugging or snogging."

"It doesn't surprise me," Harry commented. "She and I have had a half-friend, half-sibling type relationship ever since I saved Gabrielle." He changed his voice to the horrible French accent saying, "besides we are zeee only Wees-lees wizzout zee red 'air, we 'ave to steeek togezzer. And she 'as 'elped mee wiz zee French."

"Please stop," she spluttered through a laugh. "Next please. That was bottle?"

"Eighteen." Harry finished placing the delicate memory back into its bottle for safety while Ginny poured the next into the small stone bowl.

Ginny turned the bottle to see the label. "This one is number thirty." After reading the label she tipped the glass bottle and let the silvery strand slide into the carved stone pensieve.

She led Harry into the next memory letting the white mist engulf them. Both landed neatly as the swirling mass of white clouds settled around their feet before disappearing completely.

**.**

**Bottle Thirty**

_The new memory materialized with Harry and Ginny standing by the front gates of the Holyhead Harpies quidditch pitch. The steel gates towered above several small groups of fans and well wishers as various players entered the facility. The shadow of the massive grandstand shaded the gates, lawn and cobblestone walkway leading to the stadium. George and Lee Jordan leaned casually against the fence behind a group of fans, eyes searching the crowd expectantly._

"_You sure she isn't here yet?" Lee asked._

"_Yeah, I'm sure. She was flooing home from the shop, and then getting the stuff she bought today packed, and then apparating to the checkpoint here. We came straight here so I know we're ahead of her." George answered. "Just make sure we stay off to the side so she doesn't see us."_

"_Right, Sir!" Lee answered with a smart aleck salute to his redheaded friend._

"_Git," George replied. "But at least you understand who's in charge."_

"_I'm not a git, I'm a valuable asset to the company," Lee retorted._

"_Look, my less than scholarly friend. Was it, or was it not, you who spilled a full cauldron of fermented esacia roots onto the bags of dried nectal worm larvae? And was the resulting odor not so terrible as to drive every customer out of the shop?" George glared. "Were you an ass-et then?"_

_Lee nodded guiltily. "Yeah, so…"_

"_And did I not have to keep the shop closed for another whole day, a Saturday mind you, before the smell was gone enough to re-open?"_

_Lee nodded guiltily again._

"_Right, so that makes you a git…but you're still my best friend." George smiled._

"_Here she comes!" Lee whispered frantically, motioning towards the cobblestone walkway._

_Ginny walked along searching the crowd for familiar faces, carrying her shrunken trunk and equipment bag, one item in each hand. Her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the crowd for a friend or family member._

.

"This was my first day as a Harpy. I was a little on edge," present day Ginny revealed as she watched.

"First day of training camp?" Harry watching the memory asked.

"No, after training camp. It was my first day on the real pitch…getting our uniforms…my first day as a Harpy." Ginny reiterated.

.

_Ginny in the memory continued to glance around. Lee and George ducked down so she wouldn't see them. Ginny turned more towards the two men watching her and her face fell. George and Lee in the memory, and Harry watching it, all realized that she was hoping there would be somebody from her family present as she started her new career. She turned towards the gates, and now her pace was slower, her shoulders drooped a little more._

"_Three, two, one," Lee counted off softly. George aimed his wand to a wooden crate hidden by the trash bins on the far side of the walkway and cast a quick spell. A loud screech filled the air around the group of witches and wizards as a multitude of fireworks burst forth._

'_BANG-BOOM-BOOM-BA-BOOM-BOOM!' The whistling fireworks shot skyward in a mad rush. Flaming pinwheels, cannonades, and fleur-de-lis exploded above the crowd._

"_Ohhhh" the crowd cooed as the show began. 'BOOM-BA-BOOM-BA-BA-BOOM' Screamers, rockets and mini fireworks kept shooting from the crate and soon people inside the stadium came to see the magnificent display as well. 'BOOM-BOOM-BOOM' The gathered crowd grew in size as even more witches and wizards from inside the stadium came out to investigate the ruckus, several in team uniform or practice robes._

_Just as the show started to slow down and fade from the sky one last set of shells launched into the air. 'BA-BOOM-BOOM-BA-BOOM-BA-BOOM'_

'_WEASLEY IS OUR QUEEN – WAY TO GO GINNY' splashed across the sky in a glittering display of green and gold sparks. _

_The crowd hooted and hollered as the show ended, with the sparkling message still floating over the stadium. Ginny frantically looked around the crowd searching for the faces she knew had to be present._

"_Damnit George! I know you're here! Show yourself!" she called loudly._

"_Uh-oh, doesn't sound happy does she?" Lee asked, cowering behind George._

"_No, she doesn't," George agreed slinking back along the fence._

"_George! You coward get out here right this instant!" Ginny's voice raised a good twenty decibels. Her trunk and equipment lay cast aside, she stood hands on hips appearing to be quite furious._

_George led Lee from behind their hiding spot near the fence. The crowd parted, allowing Ginny to get her first view of the perpetrators responsible for the impromptu fireworks display._

_Ginny focused her glare on them. "YOU TWO! Front and center!" she barked pointing to the spot directly in front of her._

.

"Wow, you looked scary mad right there," Harry said with a low whistle.

"Good, that's the look I was going for." Ginny grinned.

.

_The assembled crowd, now numbering nearly one hundred, murmured in anticipation of just what punishment the slightly built redheaded witch was ready to dole out. When the two men, each standing a good ten inches taller than Ginny, reached the spot indicated by the furious witch, the crowd noise fell to a whisper._

"_I have just one thing to say to you two miscreants!" she growled. The crowd was now silent, eagerly anticipating the wrath. "You're the best brother in the world!" She jumped into George's arms, hugging him tightly and sniffing back her tears. "Thank you, I…I didn't think anyone from home was here…and…but you were…and the fireworks were the best thing ever."_

_She released George and jumped into Lee's arms, kissing him soundly on the cheek. "You big wimp, did you really think I was mad? You're my favorite almost-brother…thank you." She kissed his other cheek. "Thank you."_

"_ALRIGHT!" a ferocious female voice echoed above the crowd. "I want to know who the hell screwed up my carefully planned practice schedule with this…this…juvenile prank!" Gwenog Jones stormed through the gates. The crowd shrank away from her; several of the veteran players skirted around behind the crowd and darted through the gates to the changing rooms. She gazed skyward and read the message. "Weasley!"_

"_Here," Ginny smiled meekly, raising her hand._

_"Nice of you to bring your own special brand of fans, but this is professional quidditch, not a schoolyard game." Gwenog said angrily. "Get your crap and get inside…NOW!"_

_"Yes ma'am," Ginny responded quickly. She quickly grabbed her trunk and bag, and walked towards the gates. Just as she was about to enter the stadium she turned to face George and Lee, mouthing 'thank you' to the pair of them._

_"Weasley!" Ginny turned to face her captain. "Run five extra sets up and down the stands for messing up my schedule." Ginny nodded her understanding and disappeared into the depths of the stadium._

_The memory continued with the Holyhead captain turning on George and Lee as they tried to slip away un-noticed. "STOP!" Both men stood stock still as she strode to face them. "Where did you get those?"_

"_From my shop, in Diagon Alley," George answered._

"_Weasley…the purple building with all the joke stuff?"_

"_Yeah, that's it. We make fireworks too." George said proudly._

"_I noticed, those were spectacular…you made them spell words?" she questioned now thinking things over in her head._

"_Yeah, and we can magic shapes and cartoons into them too. I do the Cannons fireworks, the giant cannon that shoots off after each victory."_

_Gwenog nodded appreciatively. "Come up with something good for the Harpies and I'll find a way to get you signed on as our supplier. It'll be a good morale booster."_

"_Right," Lee and George answered together._

"_Jinx," George challenged._

"_Jinx?" Lee questioned._

"_Yeah, jinx. We said the same thing at the same time, which means we can jinx. I jinxed you, which means you can't talk."_

"_I can still talk you poof," Lee said in frustration._

"_But you're not supposed to talk," George complained. "It's a muggle game."_

"_Heeeey…new product! How about…Ginny's Ginxes! It's a sweet that will make the person go mute!" Lee exclaimed!_

_George's face lit up. "Come on lets get back to the shop. I'll start on the fireworks and you start on Ginny's Ginxes!"_

"_Deal." Lee replied and the memory faded quickly leaving Harry and Ginny standing by the pensieve._

.

"So that's how they came up with those…" Harry murmured.

"Yeah, didn't you know? I didn't know you didn't know the story," Ginny replied. "Wait, did that make sense?"

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, it did…somehow."

"Wait a second…" Ginny now pursed her lips in thought. "I don't remember getting any money out of them for that idea…Remind me to talk to my dear sweet brother about that, will you?"

Harry smiled. "Sure…don't forget to talk to George about the jinx royalties."

"Not now!" she started punching her husband's arm repeatedly in jest.

"Okay, okay…" Harry held up his hands in defense. "Next one is number six." He held up the next bottle. Ginny captured the previous memory on her wand's tip and let the silvery strand slowly slide back into the bottle it came from.

Harry let the next memory loose in the bowl and stirred it lightly with his wand. He held Ginny's hand and soon the two of them dove into the next friend's memory.

.

**Bottle Six**

When the memory settled out the couple was left standing amongst thirty or so tents arranged somewhat neatly. Some of the larger tents had brick chimneys or large wooden front doors, their owners not quite getting the idea behind them that a muggle tent did not have such additions.

.

_Harry and Ginny felt the uncomfortable heat right away, the sun beat down on the scene relentlessly baking everything in sight. Two witches strolled along between the rows of tents talking amicably. Each witch was wearing tight shorts and tank tops with the Fuse Lighters logo emblazoned across their rather ample chests, both girls were very attractive._

"_But they should do well this year too. I tell you it was so much more fun this last year, winning certainly made it easier on all of us." The lighter haired witch said to her dark haired companion._

"_So Carolyn, is the whole team back again?" _

"_Yeah Jaclyn, they're all back. Even Potter, but I don't know how well he'll do this year. He's acting different than he did last year." the blonde answered._

"_You mean Harry Potter? I'd really like to meet him," Jaclyn said enthusiastically._

"_He's not what you'd expect. He's pretty easy going, hangs out with his best mate a lot, that's Ron Weasley, our keeper. Doesn't have an ego to speak of, or at least he didn't use to have one."_

_Jaclyn stopped walking. "What do you mean 'use to'?"_

"_Well, he's…different…this year. He's all moody and he drinks more than he used to. He was here when I arrived three days ago. Players don't have to be here for six more days, I think he's hiding. I figure his fame is getting to him…He just kind of shunts everyone off to the side now."_

"_Oh," The brunette said sadly. "I was really hoping to get to know him."_

"_Take a shot, that's him there," Carolyn suggested gesturing to a dark haired wizard lying on a plain wooden bench, in front of a medium sized tent. "I promised Bev I'd meet her, so I'll catch up with you later. Let me know how it goes with Mr. Hero over there."_

.

"So we're seeing Jaclyn's now. This is another 'first time meeting' memory." Ginny surmised.

"Yes it is. It was before Ron and Hermione arrived at training camp that summer." Harry answered.

.

_Jaclyn approached the bench while her friend turned down a side row, between tents. She studied the wizard before her silently. He lay on his back, shirtless, baking himself in the sun. His lean muscular frame was relaxed, and his skin was beginning to tan which helped to hide the numerous scars across his torso. She stopped counting scars when she reached double digits, figuring it was impolite to do so, even if he wasn't awake. She stood still, wondering if all the stories about The-Chosen-One could possibly be true._

"_If you want something ask, otherwise get the hell away from me." She jumped in surprise as his curt voice cut across her. He squinted up at her, expecting her to leave._

"_Oh…sorry…I thought…"_

_"Thought what, that if you came over and gave me some catty remark that I'd fall for you?" he sneered. "Don't bother, I'm not in the market for a girlfriend. He lifted his right hand and took a sip of fire whiskey from a small glass flask."_

_"No, I didn't think…"_

_"You don't say, well what do you want then? An autograph or picture? I'm really not in the mood today… rather be alone." He again spoke with such gruffness that she winced._

.

"Harry! You were awfully rude to her," Ginny shook her head in disbelief at Harry's behavior.

"I wasn't in a particularly good mood that day."

"Still…"

"Still what Gin?" he wondered aloud. "It was what it was." he stopped talking and let the memory play out.

.

"_Never mind, I was just trying to be nice." Jaclyn said in disgust. "Not much of a hero are you then? Half drunk, mean spirited…" She turned and walked away to avoid being subjected to any more of his harsh comments._

_He lifted his head so he could glare at her as he spoke. "Guess not…doesn't matter. All everyone wants is the Boy-Who-Lived or the famous quidditch star. It's not like anyone really cares about me personally." He settled his head back on the bench and closed his eyes._

_Jaclyn stopped when his words reached her ears. She turned back to look once again at the angry man lying alone on the bench. She stared back and forth between him and a group of Fuse Lighters talking a few tents away, trying to decide what course of action to take. The other girls saw her and motioned her over, but instead she turned and slowly walked back to Harry._

_Harry squinted up at her for the second time in less than five minutes. "You're back?" he questioned with a hint of surprise in his tone. _

"_Yes I am."_

_"I must be losing my touch."_

"_Must __be." She__ shrugged her shoulders. Her casual manner was able to do something fairly unexpected, it caused Harry to smile. She took the brief smile as a sign of encouragement and plugged on. "I…I don't need a hero, I had one. But I did want to say thank you."_

_Harry studied the beautiful woman standing over him. Truth be known, if he wasn't completely in love with Ginny, regardless of their current situation, he certainly would have noticed her. Intrigued, he sat up and slid over to give her a spot to sit beside him on the bench._

_Jaclyn sat in the offered spot, sizing up the famous wizard beside her. "Okay then, here goes nothing." She paused. "You mind?" Jaclyn pulled the flask from his fingers, taking a good swig before he could protest. After swallowing her mouthful of __liquid courage__ she gave her sincere thanks. "Thank you Harry, for defeating him…for giving us hope…for doing what had to be done when nobody in authority was even trying…I…thank you."_

_Harry swallowed thickly, "You know, I've had a lot of people who try to thank me, and I understand their need for it and that they mean it, but this may be the most sincere thank you I've had."_

.

Ginny held Harry's hand as she continued to watch. "You honestly meant that didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, I don't go around saying things I don't mean," he said while intertwining their fingers.

"I know you don't, but you don't always open up to people either."

"True, but I'm working on it." He gave her a crooked smile.

"Yes you are." She stretched up and planted a swift kiss to his lips.

.

"_I just wanted you to know, that despite your comment earlier, even if nobody else cares…I do." Jaclyn bowed her head slightly, studying her feet._

"_What's your name?" Harry questioned her softly._

"_Jaclyn Hibbestaut."_

"_You're welcome Jaclyn."_

"_My friend Carolyn said that all last season you were a nice bloke, easygoing, polite, fun…why so different now?"_

"_That's a bit personal to be asking isn't it?"  
_

"_Yes, but if we never talk about the personal things we'll never get to know each other, will we?"_

_Harry shook his head, wondering to himself, 'How is it this witch just became a part of my life?' Instead he replied with, "Well, if I have to spill you do too, and since you started it, you can go first." He couldn't help but smile for a second time._

_She tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder. "Fine, I sleep with the same stuffed unicorn I've had since I was five. Her name's Harriet." _

"_I'm the Boy-Who-Lived."_

"_Not fair, everyone knows that already!" she jabbed him with an elbow._

"_Okay…" he chuckled rubbing his sore ribs. "I don't sleep with a stuffed unicorn, in fact I never had a stuffed animal of my own at all."_

"_Never?"_

"_No, in fact I didn't have any toys when I was a kid."_

"_That's sad…"_

"_Yeah, it is." Harry replied._

"_I nibble all the edges off my biscuits before I bite into the center of them." Jaclyn offered._

"_My favorite dessert is Treacle Tart."_

"_It's a little too sweet for me most times."_

_Harry sat up a little straighter. "I have a bad habit of pushing people away."_

_"I noticed," she replied._

_"But you stayed anyway," Harry countered._

_"So I did."_

_Harry turned, making sure she could see his face. "Thanks for that."_

"_Friends then?" she asked hopefully holding out a hand._

"_Yeah, friends…" he took her hand and shook it firmly. The memory faded to white and swirled about as the scene began to change._

.

"Jaclyn just kind of worked her way into your life didn't she?"

"Yes, and I'm glad she did too. I'd have gone barmy without somebody to talk to back then." Harry shifted as the memory reformed around the couple.

When the swirling mist cleared Harry and Ginny checked their surroundings. This scene was so similar to the last memory he wasn't altogether sure they'd moved at all. The only clues being that first, the setting for this memory was in the fall; and second, the tents around them were not the same tents as before. In fact the only tent that was the same was the one Jaclyn was pacing about in front of, Harry's.

.

_On the near edge of the grounds, a battery of trees resplendent in brown, orange and russet colors kept a chilly northern wind somewhat at bay. The grass around the area, matted from foot traffic, showed more of the changing season as it was no longer the bright green hue associated with the well kept quidditch grounds, but a dull green and brown mixture. _

_The young woman continued to pace nervously and persistently checked her watch between glances at the closed door to Harry's tent._

_A few seconds later the door opened and Ginny's back became visible within the doorframe. Her posture suggested she was leaning forward, and the explanation for her actions presented itself audibly. Ginny's voice followed the sound of a soft kiss ending. "Bye Harry, see you next Tuesday."_

_Jaclyn stepped between Harry's tent and his neighbor's so Ginny could not see her. Ginny turned to leave, her hair hanging loosely about her shoulders, but turned back towards Harry's door. She sighed, clearly struggling with the idea of going back to Harry or leaving._

_Jaclyn stepped forward. "Come on we need to talk," she said brusquely taking Ginny by the arm and pulling her down the row of tents._

.

"Wheeew, and I thought she was direct with me!" Harry commented quickly.

Ginny held her arm where Jaclyn in the memory had grabbed it. "Yeah, well she was more careful with you, that's for sure."

.

"_What the?" Ginny's surprised voice sounded more like a gasp than clear words. She struggled with her free hand in an effort to get to her wand._

"_Oh, please, I don't need the drama," Jaclyn spat._

"_What?"_

"_You going for your wand. I'm not going to hurt you, but we're going to have a little chat you and me."_

"_Look, if you're trying to get to Harry, then…"_

"_Just shut up before you embarrass yourself. Lord you're selfish." Jaclyn shook her head in disappointment while Ginny fumed, wrenching her arm from the dark haired witch's grasp._

_The two witches, each glaring silently straight ahead, cleared the last of the tents just a few steps later. Jaclyn pointed to an empty table and benches in a small deserted picnic area._

"_Sit," Jaclyn demanded._

_"I don't…"_

_"Just sit down and shut up."_

.

"I can't believe you two didn't end up fighting the way you're going at it." Harry watched as the scene continued.

"We almost did, I was so mad at her…" Ginny's voice faded as the memory moved forward.

.

_Ginny sat angrily on the closest bench. Jaclyn took the bench across the table from her, staring right at the redheaded witch._

_"What I wanted…"_

_"No damnit, it's my turn. You frog marched me out here, and I'm going to have a say in this right now." Ginny glared back. "I don't know what designs you have on Harry but I will not just fall off to the side so you can be closer to him than I am."_

_Jaclyn shook her head. "I'm already closer to him…and will you for just one moment, one teeny tiny moment, consider that maybe this isn't about you?"_

_"I…I…" The bravado and anger left her and she was left waiting for Jaclyn to start the conversation._

"_Good…Where to begin…Do you realize, that even after everything that's happened between you two, he is completely and totally in love with you? I wonder, because if you do, I don't understand how you can cast him off without a second thought and then jump back into his bed...He's an incredible guy, and…"_

"_I didn't just jump into his bed," Ginny defended herself. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, opened them and continued on with her explanation. "I poured my heart and soul out to him last night, talking and apologizing…I don't expect you to know our history."_

"_What? Do you mean about Voldemort and his nightmares, or how much the two of you bonded summer before last? Maybe you think I don't know about the Dursleys and his godfather getting killed, or about you turning him down?" Jaclyn countered, but her voice was now softer, less confrontational. "I know a lot certainly, but not all of it. He's so private…it's hard for him to talk about things."_

"_Yeah, he's very careful with his heart." Ginny's reply left her mouth in barely more than a whisper._

"_He is," Jaclyn affirmed. The two witches began to let down their guards and the tension between them fell away._

"_Harry explained your story to me, not details, but the main story," Ginny said kindly._

"_You didn't believe the articles in the prophet about us, did you?" _

"_I tried not to…I don't pay much attention ever since they did that hatchet job on me last year…but by the same token, I did wonder about it…and prayed it wasn't true." _

_Again the tension lessened and Ginny shifted so she was leaning forward, elbows on the table. Jaclyn relaxed as well._

"_It wasn't…we're just friends."_

"_Yeah? He said the same."_

"_Good. Honestly Ginny, it doesn't matter to me whether you two end up together or not. What does matter to me is that whatever the outcome, Harry comes through it okay," Jaclyn began the serious portion of their 'chat'._

"_I think we'll be together, we're certainly going to try...that's what last night was all about." Ginny tucked a lock of stray hair behind her left ear. "My issues are very personal, and I won't get into them here, but Harry knows them now and I think he understands why I acted the way I did."_

_Jaclyn carefully eyed Ginny, listening to her explanation. "I won't get in between you two, it isn't my place. But you need to understand that Harry is one of my closest friends, and I'll protect him in any way I can."_

"_You don't need to protect him from me," Ginny assured the brunette witch._

"_I hope not, but I'm not sure if I can believe it right now. All I can go by at this time is past behavior, which isn't on your side right now." Ginny glowered from the sting of the words, causing Jaclyn to add on, "Maybe, last night is the beginning of a new trend and you two will begin to put things right. I know in his heart he wants you to be with him forever."_

"_I've really missed him, and I know now that I don't want to live any more of my life without him." Ginny paused, glancing at Jaclyn. "So you two have become pretty close?"_

"_Yes, he doesn't spend as much time with Ron this year. They still talk, but I think that Ron living with his fiancée is changing the way they interact."_

_"Those three…"_

_"Have been friends for a long time," Jaclyn finished Ginny's thought and continued. "I know they've been a trio, but I see the trio changing to a duo plus one. He doesn't say it, but he feels as if he doesn't belong sometimes."_

_"And I haven't been around to help him…But I will be from now on. I promise," Ginny said resolutely._

_"Good, I'd like to think we can be friends. If for no other reason than because we both care about Harry." Jaclyn reached across the table, offering a hand to Ginny. Ginny accepted the handshake and the two women smiled._

.

The memory filled with white mist until nothing else was visible. When the mist receded the kitchen materialized around them, leaving the young couple standing over the carved stone pensieve.

"She sure did become part of our lives didn't she?" Ginny asked, stirring the silvery liquid mist contained in the pensieve with her wand's tip. She caught the floating memory and carefully let it slide back home, inside the crystal vial labeled 'Six', and then replaced the glass stopper.

"She sure did…She and Charlie have cooled off some, haven't they?" Harry wondered aloud looking out the kitchen windows towards Little Sound

"Yes, I thought the way they were getting on so well that she might get him to give up the dragons and marry her." Ginny answered, watching outside as dark clouds rolled in from across the sea. The soft, gentle aqua waves lapping on shore began to increase in size, turning to a steely grey hue as the storm gathered force in the distance.

"They still see each other, right?" he questioned.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if it's a romantic relationship any longer…" Ginny replied.

"I don't think it is. She's been dating Andre recently according to Ron."

"Andre?" Ginny shifted her attention away from the approaching storm to Harry. "They'd make a good couple; he's such a softie, even though he's as big as a house."

Thunder clapped loudly in the distance causing both Harry and Ginny to glance outside. Flashes of lightning created jagged fingers connecting different cloud banks, causing the clouds to glow briefly when the static discharged violently. Another roll of thunder shook the beach house, by nightfall the storm would be upon them.

"We better get the windows upstairs closed," Harry suggested, walking past Ginny to the entrance hall where he then ascended the stairs.

"I'll get the ones down here," Ginny called, swishing her wand at the various open windows on the lower level. Once the windows and shutters were secure she turned on the telly and flipped channels looking for something to watch. Harry soon returned and the couple lounged on the sofa letting the movie distract them from the coming storm.


	9. Chapter 9 Bottles 25, 23

**Chapter Summary**

As the storm engulfs the island Harry and Ginny settle into the beach house for the night. The storm may be raging outside, but inside they're together and just might delve back into their wedding gift. Well, if they don't, there isn't much use in writing the chapter is there?

.

**Bottles Twenty-Five and Twenty Three**

After watching two mediocre movies on the telly Harry and Ginny found themselves in the kitchen, reheating some of the leftovers from the last few days. The storm had descended much more rapidly than the forecasters predicted, and to make matters worse, the storm was more powerful than anticipated too. Palm trees bowed to the wind, unrestrained patio furniture swept across the beach, tumbling along until it hung up on a tree, fence or other large object. Lightning flashing atop the sound created distorted shadows across the walls, floor and furniture. Thunder rumbled ominously at times and at other times presented itself as a deep throated roar of ferocity.

Ginny finished the last of her leftover blackened mahi and washed it down with a big swig of wine. "Ohhh, I'm gonna have to do fifty sets of bleacher runs after this week to get back in shape."

Harry cast an appreciative glance at his wife's slim figure. "I doubt it, you have the highest metabolism of anyone I've ever met. Do you even weigh five pounds more than you did when we started this vacation?"

"As of this morning I weighed 2 pounds more."

"Exactly, quit worrying about it. We've been swimming, diving and running the whole week, so it isn't as though we haven't done anything to stay in shape," he countered. He finished the last of his leftover pasta and banished all the dirty dishes to the sink. Ginny set a washing charm and soon the dishes tinkled in the sink, happily washing themselves.

"Well, now that we've had our fill of dinner we can do more of these." Ginny pulled the carved wooden box to her and gently depressed the latch, letting the lid lift to reveal its precious contents nestled safely within the pads covered in red velvet.

"Not many left to go, are there?" Harry peered over Ginny's shoulder. Most of the glass bottles rested towards the side of the box they used for those memories they'd already viewed.

"No, I think that's why I'm more eager now." She jumped, startled by a lightning strike so close it shook the foundation of the beach house. "Maybe if we do some of these we won't hear the storm as much?"

"Sure we…" Another flash of lighting made its way to earth and the pounding of thunder drowned out his response. He began again after the interruption. "Sure we can do some more." They each pulled a bottle from the wooden box.

"Twenty-three," Ginny read her chosen bottle.

"I got Twenty-five," Harry added.

"Why don't you go first…age before beauty," Ginny teased, eyes twinkling.

Harry grinned back. "You know, I can't argue with that at all." As he spoke he poured the contents of bottle twenty-five into the pensieve. "Shall we?" he held a hand out to his wife and together the couple leaned into the memory and feeling once again the familiar sensation of falling into a new world.

**Bottle Twenty-Five**

_The couple landed easily, still holding hands. The whitish fog settled out to reveal a large stone walled room with large windows at one end and a high arched ceiling. Smaller windows along each side wall would have given a beautiful view of the grounds, but the shades had been pulled for the night._

_._

"Hospital wing,' Harry said assuredly.

"You'd know,"

"Yeah, I would," Harry replied absently rubbing the back of his head.

.

_Neatly made beds lined the two long walls, a thick woolen blanket draped over the footboard of each bed. Several of the beds lay concealed behind linen screens, assuring the patients of their privacy. Past those occupied beds, towards the far end, by the windows, one more bed was occupied._

_Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room from her office carrying a small silver tray. Real Harry and Ginny walked along behind her. Sitting up in the bed, blankets tucked neatly around her small form, was a much younger Ginny Weasley. Young Ginny squirmed back further against the headboard, wary of the matron._

_Madam Pomfrey noticed the girl's body language and whispered softly. "Ohhh child, don't fret. I don't have another potion for you. I know how awful that strengthening potion tastes."_

_Ginny watched her warily. "You don't?"_

"_No Ginevra I don't. This time I have something that will actually make you feel better." She gave the young witch a reassuring smile and passed the smaller Ginny a steaming cup of cocoa._

"_More hot chocolate!" Ginny said with a small smile._

'_Yes Ginevra; and you can have as much as you want. I have self-filling and warming charms on the kettle."_

"_Madam Pomfrey, can you call me Ginny? The only time I hear Ginevra is when Mum's yelling at me." She took a long slow sip of the warm cocoa._

"_Of course Ginny. Now enjoy your snack and then try to get some sleep." She set the silver tray containing the small kettle and a spare mug on the bedside table._

_The slight click of the door latch at the far end of the room echoed loudly causing both the persons in the memory, and those watching, to turn towards the direction of the door._

_A nervous twelve year old Harry stepped quietly through the door. He glanced around the room, eyes finally settling on Ginny for a moment before his bright green eyes focused on the matron. "Ma'am, I know visiting time is over, but I was talking to Professor Dumbledore until just a bit ago, and I ran right up here as fast as I could, and I hoped you'd still let me talk to Ginny even though it's past time for visitors."_

_Ginny blushed furiously behind the large ceramic cup. Neither Harry nor Madam Pomfrey noticed her. "Hello Mr. Potter, so you aren't injured? You look quite the mess."_

_Harry continued forward. "No ma'am, I'm ok, just all dirty."_

"_You are that child, you are that." the elder witch shook her head. "I have heard from the headmaster that we have you to thank for Miss Weasley's condition?"_

"_NO! I didn't hurt her, I swear it!" Harry exclaimed. In the background Ginny's blush increased until her cheeks glowed bright pink._

"_Harry, I did not mean to imply that you had hurt Ginny, but that we have you to thank for her lack of injuries," Madam Pomfrey corrected the misunderstanding._

"_Oh…so can I see her for a bit?"_

"_Of course, if it's okay with Miss Weasley." Both turned to the younger Ginny for confirmation. Just as her blush had been about to subside it once again flamed across her face. She nodded quickly. "Well, then I'll leave you to it. But no more than fifteen minutes, understood?" and with those words the matron bustled over to a nearby cabinet and began to organize its contents._

"_I just came up to see if you're okay Ginny," Harry all but whispered in a shy tone._

_Eleven year old Ginny nodded, saying, "I…I'm okay, just tired." her voice squeaked a little in nervousness._

_Harry moved closer. "I'm glad. Have any of the potions tasted good?" She shook her head._

"_Yeah, I think they make them nasty on purpose." He smiled, and Ginny's subsiding blush returned full force._

"_Want some hot cocoa?" she glanced at Madam Pomfrey. "It refills, so there's lots," she whispered so she wouldn't be overheard._

_Harry smiled back and poured himself a half mug, taking a sip right away._

"_I'm glad you'll be okay now Ginny."_

"_Me too." Her pink stained face smiled back at him, and she too took a sip from her mug, although it appeared she did it more to hide her blush than to drink the cocoa._

"_Harry…you won't tell will you?"_

"_Tell what?"_

"_That it was me. That I hurt all those people" she said guardedly._

"_But Ginny, you didn't hurt those people. Voldemort did, not you."_

"_But still, it will be our secret?" she asked so softly he could barely hear her. The pink on her face deepened to a light red_

"_Our secret, I promise."_

"_Pinky swear?" she challenged. The two children hooked right handed pinkies and shook on it._

"_Ahem…Mr. Potter. I believe we need to let this young lady get some rest." Madam Pomfrey strode back to Ginny's bedside._

"_Yes ma'am." He placed his mug on the small tray and then turned to face Ginny. "Bye Ginny, see you tomorrow?"_

_Ginny nodded. "Bye…Oh, and Harry?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Thanks."_

"_No problem Ginny." And this time, it was Harry's turn to blush. _

_._

The older Harry and Ginny watching the memory relaxed letting the now forming white fog wash around them, knowing the memory was about to deposit them in another scene soon.

.

_The new scene began to appear through the mist, and it was again the Hogwarts hospital ward, as it had been in the first bit of memory but Harry occupied the bed this time. He was older than __the first memory but he was still very boyish, not exhibiting any of the characteristics that adult Harry possessed except for his crooked smile, inviting green eyes and of course the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Of the three most prominent markers, only his scar presented itself now as he slept. Madam Pomfrey checked his wrist, neck and forehead cautiously. Around the bed Harry's best friends kept watch. Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Katie and Alicia stood nervously by whispering to each other, Hermione and Ginny wrung their hands in worry._

_._

"When was this…" Harry began to ask.

""My second, your third year, after the dementors attacked you during the quidditch game." Ginny answered watching their younger selves in the memory.

"I didn't recognize it."

"Hard to do that when you're unconscious," Ginny pointed out the obvious.

"I suppose you're right about that." He turned a little to watch the group assembled by his bedside.

.

_Madam Pomfrey turned from the bed with a satisfied smile. She faced the group of teens. "Well, he's sleeping peacefully, there's no need for you all to stay here any longer."_

_Hermione spoke for the group. "But what if he wakes and he's all alone?"_

"_Well, at this point, I dare say that Mr. Potter is almost at home here in the hospital wing as he is the Gryffindor dormitory." The group at large nodded or murmured a 'yes' of agreement as the matron continued speaking. "But, be that as it may, he won't be waking tonight. He's had a full dose of sleeping draught, he won't wake till morning. So, please make your way back to your common room._

.

"I do spend an inordinate amount of time in hospital wards, don't I?" Harry remarked ruefully.

"Yeah, you do. You had to go five times last year. We need to work on getting that number down," Ginny said making sure he understood she was not pleased with the number of times she visited the hospital or Meredith.

"But only two required an overnight stay, so that's an improvement, right?" He smiled, trying to make it sound better than it was.

Ginny cast him a warning look. "Harry…" she said in a tone to match.

"Okay, but for the record you went to the healers after six of your games."

"But mine were for scrapes and bruises," Ginny defended her medical treatments.

"You had your elbow shattered." Harry was now the one admonishing his spouse for her recklessness on the pitch.

"Just the once…" Ginny smiled sheepishly. "Shhh, watch the memory."

.

"_Okay," Katie Bell replied. The group of Gryffindors followed Katie towards the doors. As the group filed out Ginny stopped._

"_I'll catch up. I left my scarf."_

_The other six students left and the youngest Weasley returned to Harry's bedside. Madam Pomfrey glanced up from checking another student in bed recovering from an accident in the potions lab. _

_Ginny stopped by Harry's bed and addressed the matron. "I forgot my scarf, it's here somewhere." The matron nodded her understanding._

_Ginny faced Harry's bed, standing close to it. "Hey Harry, I know you can't hear me, but I'm gonna say this anyway." She looked about nervously and spoke slowly. "You really scared me today…I'm glad you're going to be alright…" she swallowed to regain her voice. "When I saw you falling…" She shuddered, contemplating that thought._

_Harry shifted under the blankets. Madam Pomfrey heard him, taking a moment to cast an appraising look at her most famous, and most frequent patient. Ginny brushed his hand with hers to comfort him. He stilled almost immediately._

"_I better go; otherwise the twins will be on me. Please try to keep from scaring me all the time. I…I don't know if I could stand it if you got hurt too badly."_

"_Is he staying calm dear?" Madam Pomfrey was now standing by the foot of the bed._

_The words startled Ginny causing her to react by sucking in a quick breath, but she bobbed her head yes._

_The matron placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ginny, he'll be fine. Now, get going before those troublemaking twin brothers of yours come back here for you."_

_Ginny nodded, walking towards the door, taking one last quick look at Harry. The door at the far end of the room opened, Fred peeked in first, George peeked in a second later, his head appearing over Fred's in the foot-wide door opening._

"_Scarf!" Madam Pomfrey coughed softly enough that only Ginny would hear._

_Ginny hastily pulled her scarf from her coat pocket. "It's okay guys. I found it under the bed next to Harry's." She waved the scarlet and gold striped scarf to her brothers, and all three left the hospital wing._

.

"You forgot your scarf?" Harry said, teasing Ginny for the feeble excuse.

"It worked!" she defended herself.

The memory was soon gone, once again replaced by swirling wisps of whitish fog. Only a few seconds later another scene swam into existence. Neither of them were surprised when the scene once again settled in the Hogwarts hospital wing.

.

_The lamps along the walls lit the large sanitary space evenly but not brightly as it was evening. Moonlight streaming through the windows left large bright squares along the floors and walls. Only two of the beds currently held patients. _

_Live Harry clasped his wife's hand in his and made his way halfway down the ward, facing the third bed on the right. A teenaged Ginny sat with her back against the headboard and her ankle resting on a stack of pillows, keeping it elevated. The bandages wrapped tightly about her foot and lower leg kept her from moving her ankle and must have itched because Ginny in the memory was frantically prying her wand under the bandages in an all out effort to scratch her ankle._

_Madam Pomfrey stood two beds away checking over the other patient in her care, Ginny's brother Ron. After checking his bandaged arm and casting a diagnostic charm she smoothed the sleeping young man's blanket, letting a small smile of satisfaction grace her lips. And then she saw Ginny._

"_Ginny!" the matron scolded. "I have warned you multiple times to leave it be!" She angrily faced her female, redheaded patient before Ginny extracted her wand in a huff._

"_It itches so bloody much! And it's been itching for two days! It's driving me barmy," Ginny protested._

.

Harry watching the memory nodded, knowing the time frame for the newest bit of Madam Pomfrey's recollections. "This was after we all went to the Ministry to…"

Ginny squeezed his hand to comfort him. Even now, years later, the mission to rescue Sirius was still one of the parts of Harry's past that gave him pause. She understood his guilt, and as much as she and their friends reminded Harry that it was not his fault, she also knew he would blame himself until the day he died. Sure the self inflicted shame wasn't hers to bear, but she knew Harry better than anyone on earth, loved him more fiercely than anyone else, and it was that love that supported him even if she felt he was being too hard on himself.

She slipped her hand from his and wrapped it around his waist. He looked down at her searchingly, and she responded to the unspoken question. "I know…and you know how he'd feel about it too…give yourself a break. Okay Love?"

Harry gave a quick nod and refocused on the memory.

.

"_Miss Weasley! Stop it now!" the healer warned as Ginny once again tried to surreptitiously slip the tip of her wand under the wrappings to scratch her freshly healed ankle. In response Ginny jerked her hand back, glaring at the matron, grumbling inaudibly as she did so._

"_You are one of the most impatient person's I've ever had the pleasure of treating. You're even worse than Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey complained._

"_Hey, that isn't fair. I'm not even a patient right now, you can't possibly be mad at me." Unbeknown to those in the memory, or watching the memory, a younger Harry had entered the room, standing between Ginny's bed and Ron's and just behind the older Harry and Ginny watching the memory._

"_True, somehow you managed to not get seriously injured," the matron said apologetically, before adding "This time," in a voice that was more firm._

_Harry looked towards his best mate's bed, realized he was sound asleep and turned to face Ginny, who was once again trying to scratch her ankle, by forcing her wand under the bandages._

_Just as he began to speak madam Pomfrey reached out and pulled Ginny's wand from her hand, slapping it forcefully on top of the bedside table so hard the small oil lamp rattled, nearly falling over. "No scratching!" she growled at her patient._

"_Please? I promise not to scratch if you take the wrappings off…even for just a little while?" Ginny pleaded sweetly in what live Harry recognized was her 'innocent Ginny' voice._

_The soft request gave the healer pause and she relented, to a point. "Ginny, I'll remove the bandage early, it should stay on until tomorrow morning, but…" she sighed. "I'll remove it tonight…"_

_Thank You!" Ginny said enthusiastically._

_"Hush, do not wake your brother…I'll remove it early, but you cannot scratch it. If I catch you scratching at the new skin I'll wrap it tighter than ever and I'll bind your hands as well. Understood?"_

_Ginny, a bright smile plastered on her face bobbed her head 'yes'. The matron waved her wand over Ginny's ankle muttering a spell and carefully unwrapped the bandages. Another quick flick of her wand vanished the used wrappings. The freshly exposed skin shone a bright pink in the moonlight; visible scars snaked around her ankle where the bones had poked through when she'd shattered her ankle escaping the Death Eaters. Ginny wiggled her toes a little and sighed happily._

"_Mr. Potter I still have a few things to attend to before turning in for the night, you may stay until I am finished." The matron bustled to the bed across the aisle, the first in a row of five that still needed linens and fresh blankets._

_Harry spoke as she turned away. "Has he been asleep for long?" He motioned towards Ron._

"_Ummm, about two hours. She gave him a sleeping draught so I don't think he'll wake up before morning." Ginny slowly reached down to drag her fingernails across the fresh scar tissue. She managed to make two long gentle scratches across the pink flesh when to her horror the bed squeaked from her weight shift._

_The matron turned quicker than a hippogriff chasing a rat and focused a steady glare at her patient. "I told you! NO SCRATCHING!" she whispered forcefully, careful not to wake her other patient._

_Ginny flung her head back into the pillow. "Fine I won't." she gasped._

"_One more time, and the bandages go back on, understood," the matron commanded._

_Harry flashed a sympathetic smile at Ginny, who he could swear was doing her best to hold back a stray tear or two._

_He sat at the foot of Ginny's bed, and looked over her slightly swollen ankle. "Look, I know how bad these kinds of things itch." He gave her a hint of a smile. "Tell me if this is better." He slowly slipped his left hand under her ankle to support it. The fingers from his right hand began to rub small circles across the pink tinged skin._

_Ginny reacted immediately and completely. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, letting her body relax as his touch quelled the inane itching that had plagued her for the last two days._

"_This hurt badly didn't it?" Harry questioned softly, still pressing the pads of his fingertips gently into the raised scarring on her ankle._

"_Yeah, it did…Oh Merlin Harry, right there again," she mumbled, lifting one eye lid slightly so she could see Harry. Harry swirled his fingers across the back of her ankle again, rubbing firmly. Ginny's hand clutched the sheets as the feelings of relief washed over her._

_Harry changed position so he was facing Ron's bed more than Ginny's, but he kept moving his fingers back and forth along the inflamed scars, massaging and soothing her itchy, freshly healed skin. He didn't notice Ginny watching him from heavily lidded eyes. "Think he'll be happy that he's going to have scars? Now he'll be more like me, isn't that what he wants…to be famous?" Harry wondered aloud, stopping the motions of his fingers._

_Ginny opened her eyes, momentarily as the movement of his fingers slowly stopped. "If he says that then he's an idiot. How you put up with his thick behavior all the time I'll never know."_

_Harry turned back towards Ginny, "I dunno, maybe I put up with that because he puts up with all the crap that comes from being my friend. I mean it isn't all fun and games you know."_

"_I know Harry," Ginny said lowly. "Uhhh, not __to__ be demanding…but you stopped." She pointed to her ankle, giving him a hopeful smile in the process._

"_So sorry for the lapse of service ma'am," Harry replied as if he was a servant being scolded. He smiled back at her, and without thinking twice he pressed a thumb into the scar tissue on the side of her ankle, picking up the ankle rub where he'd left off. Ginny shuddered as his warming touch once again eased the itch and soreness. Harry smiled to himself as Ginny let her eyes slip closed, enjoying his comforting massage._

"_I'm so sorry you got hurt too Ginny. I didn't…"  
_

"_Hey, no apologies. You needed help and there was no way I wasn't going with you." She lifted her eyes so she could see the dark haired boy before her._

"_But your ankle." he shifted his gaze to her ankle. He adjusted his hands, massaging the top of her foot with one hand and the bottom of her foot with the other, continuing his quest to alleviate the itching associated with growing new skin._

"_My ankle will be fine, even if it does feel like it's been bathed in a cauldron of itching powder." She noticed he wasn't looking at her, but blankly staring at the wall. "Harry?" He faced her. "Harry, I'm sorry too…about Sirius…"_

_"It was my fault…I ended up as bait, just like Hermione said."_

_"Do you remember what you said when you came to see me after the chamber? You told me that it wasn't my fault, that it was Voldemort, not me."_

_"Well, it was true." He moved his hands once more. Now his left hand began to massage a new section of scar tissue. Ginny gave another small sigh of satisfaction._

"_Same thing Harry. Not your fault."_

"_Why is it you're the one who always ends up pointing out the obvious to me?" he asked._

"_I dunno, but I'll trade you all the obvious answers you want for all the ankle rubs I want." She blushed a touch before issuing a whispered moan when his quidditch roughened fingers caught just the right place to relieve a particularly inflamed patch of skin. "Uuhhh…mmm…mmm."_

_Harry continued to knead her swollen ankle in silence for several minutes, slowing only when he realized she was asleep._

"_Thank you Harry." The matron's calm voice washed over him as she approached the bed._

"_Huh?" he questioned, unsure of why she'd thanked him._

"_That girl can't sit still for one single minute. She's a worse patient than you are, and I haven't been able to get her to sleep much, even with a sleeping draught. This is the first time in two days she's sleeping peacefully."_

"_Oh…Well glad I could help." Madam Pomfrey looked between Harry and Ginny unsure of the relationship. Harry, not noticing, figured she was expecting him to go and said as much to her. "I'll just be going then." Harry let Ginny's ankle rest upon the stack of pillows once more and got up from her bed. He looked at Ron one last time, then Ginny. "G'night Ginny." He left the ward quietly._

.

Harry and Ginny stood still, letting the whitish clouds envelope them as the previous memory washed from view. Ginny commented, "You do give terrific ankle rubs."

"Thanks, I try. I'm surprised it still gives you trouble." Harry replied.

"Well, it got broken then, and I sprained it one time jumping off my broom after doing some night flying. And the same ankle got broken three times by the Carrows, or Parkinson's little brood of followers. And you twisted it when you chased me into the Burrow that day. And the last person to hurt it was that dark wizard in the forest." Ginny recounted the various injuries to her much abused ankle.

"Wow, that would explain it then wouldn't it?" Harry remarked ruefully.

"Yeah, it does."

.

_The new memory, now clearly formed, surrounded the conversing couple. The setting remained the same, the Hogwarts hospital wing. Harry lay in bed, head bandaged tightly, asleep and unmoving. His glasses lay on the bedside table, near three bottles of light blue potion. In the bed to the left, Ron sat bedridden; but he was awake and busily turning a copy of The Quibbler this way and that, trying without success to decipher one of the puzzles contained within. The lamps glowed brightly, making up for the loss of light from the windows as it was just past dusk._

_Madam Pomfrey, surveying and organizing the nearby medicine cabinet, glanced at her patients before returning to the task at hand._

_The door to the ward burst open loudly, Ginny ploughing through angrily._

"_Shhhhh, or I will run you out of my ward so fast even your quidditch brooms won't be able to keep up. Understood?" the matron scolded Ginny._

_Ginny nodded but she stalked across the flagstone floor to a spot midway between Ron's bed and Harry's._

"_What's got you all in a bother?" Ron asked, staring at his sister over the top of his upside down Quibbler._

"_He's a git and a prat. I swear sometimes that boy doesn't have half a brain!" she fumed._

"_Damn Ginny, take it easy. He's right here, and sure he's out cold, but you know…show some humanity." Ron defended his unconscious friend._

"_What? No, not Harry…"_

_"Who then McLaggen?"_

_"No, because he's a first rate arse and an effing idiot to boot!" Ginny scowled, pacing angrily back and forth across the five feet between the two occupied beds._

_"Well then wh…"_

_"Dean Okay! Dean, my piggish, self centered, uncaring git of a boyfriend!"_

_"Ahem," the matron cleared her throat to get the redheaded witch's attention. "Language please. This is a hospital, not a back alley pub."_

_"Sorry Madam Pomfrey." Ginny said quietly. "I'll mind my tongue."_

_Ron watched his sister pacing, letting her work through whatever had her so bothered. "Ginny? I know we don't talk like we used to… But, you can talk to me you know. I can listen…not as good as Mum or, or Hermione…but I can…if you need someone to talk to."_

_Ginny spun on her heel in response to Ron's words. She eyed him carefully, raising an eyebrow in question. "Why?" she asked cautiously. "It's not as though we've been buddies this year." She began to think about Ron's reactions to her and Dean over the course of the school year. Her voice lowered and she said in an accusing tone. "In fact you've been rather adamant that I not touch any boys this year. Looking for another chance to get off a shot at me? Poke fun that I'm…"  
_

"_No, Ginny, honestly that isn't what I was thinking." Ron plead, dropping the Quibbler onto the bed beside him. "I…I know I might have been a little overbearing this year, but I meant it just now. Sure, you've been mad at me, and I can handle that. But this…You aren't mad right now, you're upset. And that's different, and you're my sister and I…well you know, right? And I want to help." _

_Ginny visibly relaxed, trusting her brother. "He's such a git. He was doing these stupid impersonations of Harry getting hit, and then miming the way he fell off his broom. And…and he was laughing!" Ginny picked up her nervous habit of pacing between the beds once again. "And I yelled at him to stop, but he didn't. I asked him point blank if he'd think it was funny if Harry made fun of him while he was in the hospital."_

_"And?"_

_"He laughed even louder and said 'I'm not stupid enough to face down a bludger at point blank range!' Like it was Harry's fault that arsehole McLaggen grabbed the beaters bat." Ginny stomped her foot in anger as she remembered the happenings in the common room just minutes ago. She picked up the tempo of her pacing. "I kind of lost control of my magic. I let loose with enough swearing to make a sailor blush and I felt my magic spike. The logs in the fire kind of exploded."_

"_Whoa, wicked!" Ron smiled._

_Ginny continued her emotionally charged rant. "So, I fired off a bat-bogey hex. I missed him, but only because he slipped in some spilled butterbeer and fell out of its path. I got the bastard with the second and third one's though. Then McLaggen laughed, called me a bint."_

_"I'll kill him dead, that…" Ron interrupted._

_"Language please!" the matron again admonished the students. Looking over the three students she checked her watch. "There are only fifteen more minutes of visiting time. Mr. Weasley, please take your strengthening, and dreamless sleep potions. Miss Weasley, can you help me for a second?"_

_Ginny stepped over to the adjacent bed where Madam Pomfrey was tending to Harry. "Yes?"_

"_I'm going to check his bandages, and it may unsettle him a little, can you hold his hand and comfort him while I do so?" She stepped around to the head of the bed and began to inspect the wrappings, turning Harry's head to one side._

_Ginny took Harry's hand, rubbing it gently and continued talking to her brother. "Anyway, I sent McLaggen scurrying like a rat with a few well placed hexes. And…I just was so mad, and I came up here to make sure that he's going to be alright."_

"_He'll be just fine dear," Madam Pomfrey turned Harry's head to the other side to continue her inspection. _

_Ginny scooted herself up to sit on Harry's bed where she now held Harry's hand sandwiched softly between her own hands, and continued to comfort him. "I…sometimes I get so fed up with Dean. Most the time he's a great guy. He's thoughtful, and sweet...But then he goes off and does something like this and I wonder what I see in him."_

_"Well, I know it won't be easy, but if you aren't happy then you should ditch him," Ron offered._

_"No, I think maybe I'm overreacting just because it's Harry," Ginny responded. Neither teen noticed the matron rolling her eyes in disbelief._

"_Why would you overreact because of Harry? You got over that silly crush ages ago." Ron questioned._

"_I dunno, I just…I think because he gets hurt so often that I'm scared that maybe this time he won't pull through. And I mean, sure, Mum looks out for him, and you and Hermione do too, but it just feels like he still needs people to…"_

_"To what?" Ron watched his little sister intently, but yawned as the sleeping potion began to take effect._

_"To…I dunno…put him first I guess. I want to make sure that somebody puts Harry's wellbeing above their own." She continued to stroke Harry's hand even after Madam Pomfrey left to begin closing up the ward for the night._

"_Well if you took on McLaggen and Dean in one go then I'd say you did fine taking up for him," Ron said._

"_Yeah, this time. But what if next time I'm not around?" She shifted so she was watching Harry sleep. Her hands continued to massage his hand, soothing not only Harry, but herself as well. She didn't notice her once turbulent emotions steadily calming as she continued with the task beset to her by the healer._

"_Ginny dear, you'll have to leave. These boys need their rest." Madam Pomfrey motioned Ginny to get up from where she sat by Harry. "Thank you for helping, I'm sure Harry will sleep better now."_

"_G'night Ron." Ginny gave a small wave to her brother and then looked back over at her brother's best friend saying, "G'night to you too Harry." She gave a second small wave and walked slowly from the hospital wing, letting the door click closed behind her._

"_G-ny," Harry mumbled all but incoherently._

_Ron yawned again. "Sorry mate, she just left." he answered as Harry fell back into the dreamless sleep afforded by the potion. The room fell from focus, white mist absorbing the details before washing away the last bits of the scene._

.

The current versions of Harry and Ginny stood still while the fog boiled around them, swirling and bubbling across their feet and calves. Soon the fog blanked out the remaining bits of the scene just viewed. They waited patiently for the few moments it would take for the memory to resettle itself, expecting to be deposited back in the hospital ward.

.

_The scene was most certainly not the hospital ward; it was however, the Great Hall at dinner time. The perspective of the memory was different than either Harry or Ginny was familiar with, looking out over the chattering students from the faculty table at the head of the hall. The long tables, not yet overflowing with food, gleamed. Students entered the hall talking and joking with one another. About half of the student body sat while the remainder of the students continued to file in. _

_The noise created from all the non-related conversations happening concurrently among the students fell to a whisper as Harry and Ginny entered the hall holding hands. Once the students at large noticed the pairing the noise level increased as the Hogwarts rumor mill cranked up to full speed._

"_Professor Sinestra, is that the Weasley girl…with Potter?" Professor Sprout asked._

"_Yes it is…Which is surprising. I was under the impression that her brothers rather...discourage...many of the young men wishing to court her."_

.

"WHAT! Those prats, I knew Fred and George…" Ginny spluttered angrily. "Ohhh, I know I can't get to Fred, but I'll get George. Whoever he dates next, I'm gonna tell her he has a rash."

Harry sniggered, envisioning in his mind Ginny wreaking havoc on one of George's relationships. "Gin, calm down, this is all in the past. Besides, they didn't discourage me, and isn't that all that really counts?" Harry tried to soothe her fiery temper

"I guess so" she said calmly before her temper flared back up. "Still they had no right…"

Harry got her to quiet down the only way he knew was one hundred percent effective. He kissed her. And as soon as the kiss ended he kissed her again, and again, and again. After the fourth kiss she settled down.

.

"_Well, she is rather fetching. And if we're being candid, quite a few of the young ladies in the school think Mr. Potter is quite the dish." Professor Sprout leaned over so their conversation wouldn't carry._

_Her comment was heard by Professor Flitwick who exclaimed. "Oh, excellent, she and Harry __make a__ wonderful couple. Funny, I always saw them as more of a brother and sister, myself."_

"_Yes, they were friends, but they're dating now," Professor Sinestra volunteered. "I heard the Granger girl and Ginny's brother Ronald talking about it when he came by to get her after class the other day."_

_While the conversation progressed the focus of the memory remained on Harry and Ginny winding their way through the Great Hall, smiling at each other. Ginny slipped her hand from Harry's and tilted her head up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Harry took her face gently in his hands and kissed her back. She happily settled into a seat across from Hermione and Neville. Harry slid onto the bench next to her and slid his hand onto her knee, just below the edge of her skirt. She smiled and gave him another brief kiss on the cheek._

"_I thought she was dating that chap that was such the football fan, what's his name Thomas."_

"_Ahhh, but they had a falling out a while back." A new voice entered the conversation, Madam Pomfrey. "I think she's traded up. He is a nice boy." The professors sat up straighter as the food magically appeared on the table. _

"_This is rather sudden isn't it? I mean I've never even seen Potter with a girl before," questioned Professor Sprout._

"_Look at them…"_

"_And who, pray tell, is the subject of so much abject curiosity?" Severus Snape's silky smooth voice drawled, interrupting Professor Sinestra._

"_Harry Potter is dating Ginevra Weasley." Professor Sinestra explained._

"_Potter…and Weasley…curious…" Professor Snape studied the raven haired boy and his fiery, redheaded girlfriend. "It does seem that history repeats itself. Sadly, it appears Mr. Potter is exactly like his father."_

"_And what does that mean Severus? Do you have something against two students discovering love?"_

"_I do not have the luxury of believing in love." He sneered at the witches before stalking down to the far end of the table._

"_Well, they appear to be very happy, even if it has come about quite suddenly." Professor Sprout nodded her approval of the couple._

"_Sudden? Please…even Trelawney could have seen this coming," muttered __Madam__ Pomfrey._

"_You knew? How could you have foreseen this?" Professor Sprout questioned._

_The school healer screwed her face into a dreamy unconnected stare, saying "The inner eye sees all… nothing is a surprise to those who have…the gift…" her voice floated dreamily along lilting, rising and falling as if she was a cross between drunk and hallucinating._

_Professor Sprout spit a full mouthful of pumpkin juice back into her goblet, laughing out loud at the dead on impersonation of the batty divination professor._

"_Poppy, what do you know that the rest of us don't?" Sinestra focused a steely glare at the matron._

"_These are two of my most frequent visitors to the hospital wing. I have seen them grow from shy children, to close friends, and thankfully now to a couple… If they continue to nurture the love I've seen during their brief stays under my care, then I will expect them to have a happy life together."_

_The memory began to fade into nothingness, replaced once again by the all too familiar white fog._

.

"That was a nice memory, wasn't it?" Ginny questioned as the memory wafted away.

"Yeah, they were nice. Kind of a Harry and Ginny through the ages…as seen in the Hogwarts Hospital wing," he answered as the last vestiges of the memory faded, leaving the young couple right where they'd started, standing in the kitchen of Kingsley's beach house.

"CRACK! BOOM!" Lightning rent the air around them as the electrical charge hit earth just off to the side of the back garden. The smell of ozone permeated the air from the electrically charged blast, the immediate clap of thunder shook the house to its very foundation.

"Wheeew, that was a close one." Ginny shuddered.

Streaks of lightning flashed across the sound, casting flickering reflections across the floors, and ceilings. The rumble of thunder was now almost constant as the full brunt of the storm attacked the island with fury.

"Let's get to the next one, yeah? I don't want to just wait this storm out." Harry finished the sentence just as another bolt of lightning struck nearby.

"I agree, the next one is…twenty-three." she read off the label. She deftly poured the next liquid strand of silver into the pensieve. Harry stirred the surface of the wispy, luminescent contents of the bowl until the memory was ready for viewing. When it was ready the pair held hands and fell into the next journey.

.

**Bottle Twenty-Three**

_Loud music blared from the wizarding wireless drowning out any intelligible conversation, the remnants of the combined conversations resulted in such a din that the only way to hear the person speaking to you was to lean in closely. The darkened nightclub, teeming with drunks, fans and Harpies players nearly shook from the pounding music, rhythmic footfalls of those dancing, and the sheer volume of people in house._

_Four of the Harpies, Melinda and Caitlin included, danced provocatively, each more molesting their partner than guiding them. Near the west side of the club a large, round table, littered with playing cards and several mostly empty bottles of fire whiskey, another group of witches sat halfway through a drinking game of some type._

_A long oak bar, stained from centuries of use lined one wall. Behind the bar a myriad of bottles and glasses, positioned neatly along the shelves, sparkled in front of the giant German plate glass mirrors covering the wall. An older barman and a young, excruciatingly pretty witch worked in tandem. Older patrons and regular customers talking more to the man, younger men and those intent on partying harder gravitated towards the busty blonde bartender. At the far end of the worn bar sat Gwenog Jones, alone._

_She perused the club, making mental notes on who was dancing, drinking casually or drinking too much. _

_The music from the wireless faded and the announcer began to give the Saturday night quidditch scores. "Puddlemere defeated Tutshill two-fifty to one hundred-sixty, Cannons over the Hornets by a score of three-ten to one-ninety, Potter has now caught the snitch in forty-five of forty-seven games dating back to last season. The Holyhead Harpies crushed the Athens Warriors by a score of two hundred-eighty to eighty, the best start they've had in nineteen years, while in…"_

_The broadcast was drowned out by a huge cheer from the occupants of the bar. All the Harpies players strewn about the club raised a glass in celebration. At a back corner table, Ginny half heartedly raised her glass as well. Gwenog, noticing her youngest player sitting alone, left her established spot at the bar, made her way through the crowd and took a seat at the table._

"_Hello Ginny," she greeted her chaser._

"_Hi," Ginny responded without emotion._

"_You okay kid? We're celebrating the best start in nearly two decades and you're over here sulking." Gwenog studied Ginny's face, still bruised from a bludger hit late in the game._

"_I'm fine," Ginny answered._

"_Really? Last week you partied all night with the girls. It looked like you were finally bonding with them and now you're over here…" Gwenog's voice trailed off as both parties understood her meaning. Ginny shrugged, which Gwenog took as a sign that she should continue. "You never found a room mate either did you?"_

"_No, I guess they all thought I was too young and…"_

"_You don't think your behavior is causing the rift between you and the other women?" Gwenog asked in a straight forward way._

_Ginny seemed to deflate a little at her captain's charge. "I just don't fit in. I try to get along with them, but they're all at least four years older than I am, and…"_

_Gwenog leaned forward in her chair. "I'm going to ask you this, and you won't like it, but I need to do it." She sighed. "Do you want to play quidditch for the Harpies?"_

"_YES!" Ginny almost yelled. "Yes, of course I do! I didn't give everything up to not play! Are…are you canceling my contract?"_

"_No, no Ginny I'm not." the older witch laid a reassuring hand on Ginny's arm. "I can't. You, the team and the league all signed it. You get paid whether we play you or not, it's the standard development contract, you'll get your money."_

"_I don't care about the money! I want to play, it's all I care about at this point."_

"_Okay, good. I'm glad to hear that this team is your first priority, it should be. But that brings us to the next issue." Gwenog paused, mulling over how to start on the next part of her advice. "There is more to quidditch, excelling at quidditch, than just playing the game. In order for our team to become a true force in the league we have to work as a cohesive unit. For that to happen, for us to gel as a team, we need to bond with each other."_

_Ginny nodded her approval, "Yeah. I know it was only a school team, but that was the biggest part of being a captain at Hogwarts, building the team's chemistry."_

"_Exactly…the other women have to trust you implicitly, and right now they can't do that. Sometimes you're moody or stand-offish, other times you'll go out and drink or stay out with them and have fun. Other times you just seem so…so sad. The girls and I are never quite sure which Ginny is going to respond when we approach you about something." Gwenog let her words sink in and continued after a short pause. _

"_That lack of trust shows up on the pitch as a moment of hesitation before passing, or a seed of doubt as to whether or not you can make the play. Things like that, and it affects us as a team."_

"_But I can't make them trust me! I try to fit in, but I don't want to bed every guy that comes along like Caitlin does, or drink myself stupid. And I don't have five or six years of quidditch stories to tell like Sandra and Melinda…I just feel so alone…All I want is to play…" Ginny hung her head in despair._

"_Ginny, I don't expect you to change your moral values and neither will your team mates. Wait…why do you feel so alone? You come from a large family and you have a boyfriend, right?" the team captain questioned._

"_I do have a large family but we're all so busy, and we travel so much…as for the boyfriend…I don't know if I have one or not, I guess the answer is no."_

"_Is that why you've been behaving so oddly?"_

_"No."_

_"Can I ask what happened?"_

_"He proposed…and I didn't accept."_

"_You didn't love him?" Gwenog said in surprise._

"_No, I love him with all my heart," Ginny admitted._

"_Well now I don't understand at all."_

"_I have some personal issues that I need to sort out, and I decided that it would be better for me to work them out on my own."_

"_So, you turned down the man you're in love with, who happens to be the most famous wizard in the land, so you can fix whatever it is you think is wrong with you? You pushed him away, so you could be alone and now you are alone and don't like it?" Gwenog paraphrased. "And on top of that you began a new career, leaving home behind for the most part, and are trying to prove yourself on the pitch as well?" Ginny nodded._

_Gwenog stared directly at her young chaser. "Well Ginny, its time to grow up. You've made these decisions and now you'll have to live with them, but as the team captain here's my take on it. If you want to run home do it, but if you want to play for the Harpies and be the player I know you can be, then you need to get your shite together. Find some common ground with the girls, I don't care if it's drinking, men, dancing, shopping. Find a way to bond with the team." Gwenog took a swig of her mead._

"_As for your personal issues…fix them! Your behavior is affecting the entire offensive scheme and I won't let a green rookie mess up my team. Fix yourself and fix it with the boyfriend or else you won't be starting."_

.

Live Harry shifted uncomfortably watching the scene play out. "So you…

"Harry, don't let this…' but the memory played on forcing the two watching the memory to focus on it, abandoning their conversation.

.

_Ginny gulped, looking terrified. "O…Okay_

"_I mean it Ginny. Either cut him loose or get him back. And if it doesn't improve soon, I'll cut you all together."_

_Ginny's expression flashed from concern to anger in a heartbeat. "I said I'd do it! Okay! I…"_

.

Harry watching the scene fumed. "I can't believe it! After all this time…the only reason you came back to me was to help your career!" He backed up several steps from Ginny in the memory and she could see the turmoil within him raging in his emerald colored eyes.

"Harry, wait a second. I…"

"NO! I just saw it! You only came back to save your career!" He nearly shouted. "I…I can't believe it." His voice fell off in cadence and volume.

"No, Harry I…"

"I'm done with this." And with no further discussion he lifted his head and arms and pulled himself from the memory, leaving Ginny behind. Once he landed back in the kitchen he paced frantically, not able to control his surging emotions.

Ginny appeared moments later, flushed in anger. "Harry, please look at me."

"I can't stand to!" he barked. "You manipulated me completely, just like Dumbledore used to." He strode across the kitchen to the French doors leading out to the garden, where the storm continued to beat down, thrashing the island in tropical fury.

"No I didn't!" she exclaimed.

"I can't believe it!" He pulled open the doors and walked out on her, into the raging thunderstorm. BOOM! A clap of thunder shook the house. Moments later lightning streaked across the sky making ground on a utility pole nearby, creating a shower of sparks as the transformer blew itself apart.

Harry strode back and forth in the garden, his magic barely contained. How many times could a man be betrayed he wondered. His mind clouded, and images from his past muddled his thinking. 'Of all people, why Ginny?' he asked himself. He kept pounding around in the garden, his trainers and clothing now soaked from the heavy rain. His vision became nearly non-existent as the water fouled his glasses.

The other, more logical and less emotional side of his brain forced him to interrupt his thoughts. 'No, Ginny wouldn't do that. She loves you, you know that.' For a brief moment he concentrated on that thread of thought, and less on his feelings of betrayal. But his emotions raged back into control. More lightning flashed overhead. The raindrops, propelled sideways by the sixty mile an hour winds stung on his bare skin.

'You saw it, in the memory. She only came back to you so she could play for the Harpies…You knew she'd choose quidditch over you…"

His wallowing in self pity stopped when sharp pains assaulted his left arm. He turned, expecting to see a dislodged tree branch banging his arm, but what he saw was an absolutely furious Ginny punching his arm as hard as she could accentuating each word as she spoke.

"You ARSE!" Punch. "You self centered git!" Punch. "Damnit you need to grow UP!" Punch.

He raised his hands to defend himself. The downpour matted her red hair into a darkened mass lying limply on her shoulders. The thin windbreaker she'd donned did nothing to protect her and she too was soaked to the bone, her sopping clothes hanging heavily on her shoulders and hips.

"She opened her hands and grabbed his arms as he struggled to release himself from her grasp. "Now that I have your attention!" she growled. "Don't you dare, ever, I said EVER! Walk out on me like you just did. I will not stand for it and I don't give a damn what kind of excuse you want to make for it! N-E-V-E-R, never walk away from me like you just did. Understood!"

Harry, after stopping his struggle, simply glared right back at her without saying a word. The rain continued to fall. CRACK BOOM! The white flash temporarily blinding them made each see stars, and the roar of thunder drowned out her tirade.

The despondent look in Harry's eyes gave Ginny pause and she calmed down enough to catch her breath and released his forearms. "Harry, you need to come back in and finish watching this memory, please?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I…"

"Harry, you know how I feel about you, please come inside." she held out her hand as an invitation.

Harry's eyes met hers and he carefully clasped her hand, letting her guide him back into the house. Once inside she gently tugged him towards the kitchen saying, '_Accio bath towels'_. Moments later a bundle of thick fluffy towels landed on the countertop and each took one to begin drying off.

"Harry, I'm so mad at you right now, but…"

"You! Well what about what I…" he interrupted her.

She placed a small damp hand on his arm. "Please listen. I'm furious, but I'm staying calm because I think you need to hear this. I love you. You know I do. In your heart you're certain of it. What I don't understand is why this has set you off." She finished drying herself off and cast a drying charm on her clothing.

"Because you only came back to me to save your quidditch career." Ginny cast the same spell on Harry, drying his clothes instantly.

"No, that isn't true," Ginny replied. "Let's go back in and finish the memory." Harry shook his head no. "Look, we've seen you being Harry hunted, got past the whole Dean thing, and we saw me after getting beat to a pulp. We can get through this one too. Like you told me several times through all this, just wait and see where it goes. Okay?"

This time Harry nodded. "Okay Gin, I trust you." She slid her hand down to take his and led him back into Gwenog's memory.

.

_The memory picked back up from where they'd left it with Gwenog admonishing her youngest player. "I mean it Ginny. Either cut him loose or get him back. And if it doesn't improve soon, I'll cut you all together."_

_Ginny's expression flashed from concern to anger in a heartbeat. "I said I'd do it! Okay! I…understand what's at stake."_

"_Ginny, I don't mean to be so harsh, but I have to look out for the team's interests. If you need to talk, I'll always have an open door for you. Just try to get this worked out, you have all the markings of a brilliant quidditch player, you just need to mature."_

"_I really am trying. I've sorted some of myself out, but I'm not ready to go see him. I…I can't yet." Ginny said through a sigh._

"_I drafted you, in spite of your small size, because I have never seen such raw flying talent. And when I saw your eye for strategy I knew you were the girl that could get us to the top of the league. I'll give you some time on this, but the hourglass is running, understood?"_

"_Gwenog? Have you ever been in love?"_

"_Yes."_

"_What happened?" Ginny asked._

"_I was a third year beater for Puddlemere and I was in love with a terrific man. He was strong, handsome, gentle…" Gwenog's eyes misted, but only slightly, as she talked. "He proposed to me on the same day I got traded to the Harpies. His job was going to take him to Singapore, and we'd visited and I liked it, but I didn't want to give up quidditch. I didn't, I said no and we went our separate ways."_

"_Do you ever think about him?"_

"_Not any more I don't. I saw him; he came to a match when we played there one time. He had a wife and two little kids. The kids were getting into all kinds of stuff, grabbing papers and they were all sticky from eating sugar quills at the game, and the baby wouldn't stop crying."_

_Ginny's expression softened as she thought about her, Harry, and little kids. Conversely, Gwenog's expression hardened and she continued to speak. "Who needs it, I couldn't wait to get away. I'm glad it worked out for him, but I belong here. Just like you do."_

_Ginny swallowed thickly. "Isn't Sandra married? She makes it work."_

"_She does, but most of the girls find staying single lets them concentrate on the important things." Gwenog explained. "Well, I have to keep making the rounds. Get your act together."_

"_I will." Ginny replied._

_The memory faded into whiteness and the wisps of vapor swirled about._

.

Harry looked at Ginny sheepishly, "So after this, and her views on marriage and parenting, you came to find me anyway?"

Ginny, still somewhat perturbed from his earlier behavior, answered cautiously. "Not right away, this was about a month before I wrote asking to meet me. The next morning I sat at breakfast with Sandy and we talked about a lot of things. Not just marriage, but about kids, and the league, and the war…"

Harry nodded and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "I way over-reacted didn't I?"

"Yes."

.

_The rolling white vapor calmed, letting the next scene solidify around them. The Harpies team walked slowly towards the locker room, down the darkened tunnel that led off the pitch. The women, sweaty, dirty and tired from a rigorous workout, trudged ahead of Gwenog. As the first few players slipped into the Harpies locker room Gwenog called out, "Weasley, I need to see you in my office."_

_Ginny turned. "Now or after I clean up?"_

"_Now, it won't take long," came the answer._

"_Later Ginny," Melinda said. _

_We'll hold up a bit for you before we head to Marty's for dinner," Sandy added._

_Ginny nodded and followed Gwenog into her office._

_The office was large, but not huge and while it was comfortable it was well beyond cluttered. At one end a scale quidditch pitch stood by, with several sets of small players that were charmed to take instruction so formations could be flown and dissected. The credenza was stacked several feet tall with game notes and old copies of Quidditch Weekly, and from the way the stacks leaned Ginny figured it was only magic that kept the towering piles upright._

"_Grab a seat." She motioned to an armchair that was covered in papers._

_Ginny slipped her wand from its wrist holder and levitated the pile to the floor by the credenza, before taking a seat._

"_I wanted you to know that I've noticed a marked improvement in your practices lately, and other than the horrible game you had against the Cannons, have been flying extremely well during the games. You are up across the board on your stats."_

"_Thanks, I've been training harder than ever the last month."_

"_Yes, but you seem happier too. So I take it you fixed things up with the boyfriend? Good career move." Gwenog gave an approving nod._

_"We're working things out and we're mostly back together now. But I didn't do it to help my career. I did it to repair my relationship with Harry. Just so you know."_

_"Oh? I thought the team was your highest priority?"_

_"Yes and no. Harry…he promised that he'd support me playing. I don't see why I can't be happy with Harry and still be the chaser you and the Harpies need. And as you've already noted, I'm playing better now than earlier when I was trying to do it all on my own."_

"_Ginny, I'm glad, thrilled actually about your relationship getting back on track. And your on-field work ethic has been exemplary," Gwenog praised her youngest player._

"_Thanks." Ginny smiled._

"_I saw you leave the quidditch roundup party with Harry, so you made up with him that night?" She peered guardedly across her desk to the young chaser._

"_Not that night, we started to make up after our game against the Cannons. It took a couple __of__ weeks, and we still have issues, but we're working on them together now."_

_"Good, now pay attention here. If you continue to improve the way you have been. I may try you at the number three spot towards the end of the season."_

_"Number three! That means I'll call the plays!" Ginny said excitedly._

_"That's right. When you play you're very unselfish. Even if you think you can score, you'll pass to a team mate that has a better percentage shot. Not all chasers think like that. Caitlin and Sandra don't for sure. I think moving you will make the offense more unpredictable and we'll get a higher goal percentage."_

_"If we use a modified Lykins formation on our left breakout we can draw the opposing keeper to the off ring!" Ginny blurted out._

"_No that won't…" Gwenog halted her objection mid-stream, mouth hung open. She snapped her mouth closed and wrinkled her brow in concentration. "Hmmm…you may be right about that. Good thinking."_

_Ginny beamed at the compliment. "Thanks."_

"_Whatever you and Harry have worked out, keep doing it. It's got you playing better than you have all year._

"_Caitlin says it's the 'special horizontal training' that is helping me." Ginny laughed._

"_Well, she'd know." Gwenog laughed too. "Seriously though, if that is what's got you sorted out, then tell Potter to shag you rotten."_

"_He pretty much wants to anyway." Ginny blushed, not believing what she'd just said. "Never mind."_

"_Go clean up, and if the Lykin's formation maps out you can call it next week when you start at number three spot."_

"_Next week!"_

_Gwenog nodded and waved Ginny towards the door. Ginny left the office and the memory faded away._

.

"So is it our special horizontal training that makes you such a good player?" Harry teased.

"Maybe." Ginny smiled but only for an instant. "We need to talk about earlier."

"Yeah, I suspect we do. And I suspect I'll be the one apologizing." Harry looked over Ginny's shoulder to the windows. Large raindrops continued to fall, and lightning could be seen across the sound as the storm continued to rage outside.

"I don't want an apology per se. But I want you to tell me why after being together for two years, and married for another, you could so easily question my love for you. Harry, you questioning my love or motives to come back to you cut me to the bone. I'll need to have a pretty good explanation to forgive what you accused me of." Ginny watched Harry as she confronted him.

Harry sighed guiltily. "I…I don't have an answer."

"And that is not acceptable. We're going to hash this out right now." She took his hand and led him to the couch. She waved towards the mantle and muttered a charm. A fresh fire crackled to life in the fireplace, and its warmth spread quickly through the room. Ginny grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and sat with it around her shoulders. She patted a spot between her legs indicating where she wanted Harry to sit.

Harry slid between her legs and leaned back into her warm chest. She wrapped her arms and the afghan around them, hugging him. She gave him a soft squeeze, whispering, "talk to me Love."

"I'm sorry." Harry's voice was barely audible over the wind and thunder outside.

"I know you are, but what triggered the reaction?"

Harry settled back into Ginny's comforting embrace, and she kissed the side of his neck. "It was just the shock of it I think. And I'm not sure why it affected me…but the way she ordered you to fix it with me…It never occurred to me that you'd patched things up with me just to keep your career."

"But I didn't Harry. When we got back together I said if it was a choice between you and the Harpies, you'd win."

"And I believed it, and I guess I still do."

"You guess?" Ginny challenged.

Harry sighed heavily. "I never doubted it until tonight."

"And now you do?" Ginny replied, hurt ringing in her voice. "After all we said and did to get back together, you think it was so I'd play better?"

"Well wasn't that why you said 'no' to me? So you could go play for the Harpies?"

"Harry, we have discussed this ad nausea. I needed the time to find myself, to figure out what Ginny needed, not what everyone else thought Ginny needed."

"And in my heart I know it was for you, I do. But the voice that is hidden deep inside me and tells me to be careful, that warns me against letting me get my hopes up, that little piece latched onto my fear and pulled it right up to the surface." Harry leaned forward away from Ginny and rested his face in his hands.

Ginny shifted forward too, wrapping her arms around Harry's torso, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I didn't know you still had feelings of doubt."

"That's just it, I didn't know either. Gin, I have been so happy the last few years. I've never dared to dream I could be as happy as I am with you. And being married to you, seeing you as much as I can…I've never felt so much love." Harry said in complete honesty. "So when that doubt exploded in my mind, I wasn't expecting it and I reacted to it defensively."

"I see…I understand, I think. You've always been at least a little defensive, and knowing how you were raised that isn't a surprise by any means. But I'm surprised that the more common sense part of you didn't stop it."

Harry lifted his face and replied. "It tried to, but the doubt just smashed it back down."

"So, maybe next time when the common sense part tries to slow down your reactions you'll pay more attention, and listen to the doubt less?" Ginny asked gently rubbing her cheek to his.

"You think it'll happen again?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Love, I think as happy as we've been, it will take a long time and a lot of love to overcome the insecurities those wretched Dursleys forced into you. But on the bright side, I think we have more than enough love to do the job right." She squeezed him strongly.

"Gin…I love you…always."

"Always…" she whispered huskily, pulling him back into her embrace, and layering soft kisses on his face and lips.


	10. Chapter 10 Bottles 20, 24, 16

**Chapter Summary**

The island and the vacationing couple managed to survive the stormy night. As always seems to be the case, after every storm comes a new morning full of hope and promise. Harry and Ginny embark on a new day together, but as another day in Grand Cayman arrives the last day of vacation and their imminent departure looms before them.

**Bottles Twenty, Twenty-Four and Sixteen**

Ginny awoke just after dawn the next morning after what surprisingly had turned out to be an excellent night's sleep. She and Harry had continued to talk, and kiss, late into the evening watching the storm outside. When the storm subsided just after midnight they fell into bed, loved each other and slept soundly to the soft patter of rain on the clay tiled roof of the beach house.

She lifted her head and reached for her husband. Her hand never made contact, and instead she felt nothing but bed sheets. The mattress was still warm; he'd left just moments ago. She sat up and pulled her bathrobe on over her bare shoulders, pulling the sash tightly around her waist. She walked to the large window overlooking the now peaceful waters of the sound. Bright morning sunlight spilled across the bay, the clear cool water of Little Sound, and the sandy beach. Various sea shells, kelp and remnants of plants or corals broken off during the tumultuous evening storm lay strewn about the normally pristine beach. Ginny stretched, taking in the beautiful scenery and decided to go find her husband. Moments later she was in the kitchen, where Harry was busy at the stove brewing a fresh pot of tea.

"Morning, this will be ready in a bit," Harry said as he yawned. "I didn't expect you up so soon. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed." He pulled two teacups from the hangers under the cabinets.

"Thanks anyway." Ginny padded across the kitchen and gave him a quick kiss. "Sleep okay? You're up earlier than normal as well."

"Yeah, I did." The tea kettle emitted a low whistle as the brew boiled.

"Wanna go running with me?" she asked. "I'll have training when we get back, and I didn't run yesterday, soooo..."

"How far?" He poured each of them a hot cup of tea.

"To Rum Point and then across the north side of the island? It's only about two miles. We can get breakfast at that little bagel shop and then walk back along the beach." Ginny stirred a teaspoon of honey into her hot tea. "Lots of shells on the beach, and I know Mum would love them."

"That sounds like a good idea." Harry replied taking a sip of his own tea.

Ten minutes later the couple was dressed in running gear and setting a quick but easy pace up the street towards Rum Point. After turning the point the couple continued their jog along the north side of the island until they reached _Irma's Bagel Shoppe_. After a light breakfast of bagels and fresh fruit the couple returned by way of the beach picking up shells and bits of coral to bring home to Molly, Fleur, Victoire and Teddy.

Clasping Ginny's hand gently in his own, Harry led her up the path from the beach, and through the garden to the French doors leading to the kitchen from the patio. He muttered the unlocking charm and Ginny slipped through the now open door.

"Let me get these rinsed off and then we can go shopping or swimming," Ginny said while running the tap to fill the sink with water. She spilled the bag of collected shells into the water and cast a cleaning charm. The shells splashed about gently cleaning themselves of salt and sand.

"I'd prefer swimming to shopping," Harry answered from the other side of the bar. "But I'd like to view a couple more of the memories first if you don't mind."

Ginny turned to face him and his bright green eyes captured hers instantly. 'Oh Merlin' she thought, as her heart thudded in her chest. His boyish, crooked smile made her toes tingle and she felt the same swooping motion in her stomach that reminded her of their first kiss. "Yeah, I'd like that too."

She crossed the kitchen and peered into the intricately carved wooden box that held their precious wedding gifts. Most of the small crystal phials rested on the right side, only five bottles remained on the left, which were those memories still to be viewed by the couple.

.

**Bottle Twenty**

Harry pulled the stopper from one of the five and read aloud, "Bottle Twenty." The silky wisps of stranded memory floated easily to the small, carved, stone bowl where the strand was enveloped by the silvery liquid mist of the pensieve.

Harry and Ginny touched their noses to the shimmering liquid-cloud of memory and felt themselves fall headlong into the past.

.

_The room was dark and quiet. Each of six beds arranged around the perimeter of the Gryffindor girls' dorm held the sleeping form of a student. A lone shaft of moonlight raked across the floor, up a wardrobe and across to the wall, near the door to the loo. The sound of calm peaceful breathing could be heard in the background. Music, then a newscaster's voice washed into the room from under the closed door, coming from below. Garbled static, followed by a bass heavy rock tune, followed by more static woke the girl closest to the door. _

"_Bloody hell, who's up at this hour?" she grumbled softly so as not to wake her room mates. Parvati Patil pulled on a silk dressing gown and grabbed her wand from the nightstand. "I am going to hex them so bad. I have a quiz in Arithmancy in the morning…" Another song came on and the station remained unchanged. Silently she made her way down the spiral stairs leading to the common room. On the last few steps she could see the flickering of a low fire and a shadow fall across the floor._

_She arrived on the last step to see Ginny standing near Seamus' battery powered muggle radio, by the east wall, under a large painting depicting a pride of lions on the hunt. Parvati snorted to herself, the lions all lay fast asleep. 'Figures, even the bloody lions get to sleep,' she moaned. Just as she began to leave the last step and confront the younger girl she heard shuffling from the other staircase._

_Harry entered the room, wearing maroon flannel pants and a dingy, oversize Grunnings t-shirt. Parvati, wondering why the couple would be meeting this late at night slipped back up two steps and pressed herself against the wall, hidden by the dark shadow._

"_Ginny?" Harry said with concern._

_Ginny spun around, taken by surprise, her threadbare dressing gown swirled about her feet. The open robe revealed a much worn nightshirt, and a pair of hand me down pajama bottoms that did not quite fit her. "Harry!" she gasped. After a few seconds to catch her breath she smiled. "You scared me."_

"_Didn't mean to. Why're you up? Nightmare?"_

"_No," she answered, "Just couldn't sleep." Ginny blushed slightly and fiddled with the dial again in an attempt to find some music she liked._

"_Couldn't sleep? You're okay, right?" Harry walked closer to her, his face showing concern._

_._

"I never knew anyone else had ever seen this." Ginny whispered as though the occupants of the memory might hear her.

"Me either," Harry commented.

.

"_Yeah, fine. I kept thinking about that hour we spent down by the lake this afternoon." Ginny grinned sheepishly. Harry came closer and gave her a one-armed hug. Ginny in turn took his hand._

"_I've been thinking about it all day too." Harry's cheesy grin matched Ginny's. On the stairs, Parvati slipped down one step to get a better view of the proceedings._

"_So you were dreaming about me?" Ginny asked with a mischievous smile._

"_No, mine was a nightmare. I woke up in a cold sweat. If I'd have been dreaming of you I probably would have woke up for a different reason." Now it was Harry's turn to blush._

_Ginny fiddled with the knob on the wireless passing a news station and the weather to land on another station playing soft music. Harry took a half step closer and lifted Ginny's face with his fingers. "You're alright then?"_

_Ginny nodded and leaned forward to press a loving kiss to his dry lips. "I'm fine."_

"_Good." He slid his fingertips from her chin and caressed the side of her face. She leaned into the gesture, locking eyes with him._

_Parvati, still hidden, sighed at the romantic moment. She watched as Ginny moved her hips just a little to match the strains of music coming from the muggle radio._

.

"Do you think she knew what this is?" Harry asked.

"No, I don't know how she could." Ginny shook her head. "I bet she just saw this as a romantic moment and thought it would be nice to give to us."

"Probably."

.

_Harry in the scene smiled and looked down when he felt Ginny sway to the music. "You like this song?"_

_Ginny stopped her movements. "Yes. It's one of my favorites, favorite muggle song at least."_

"_Don't stop," Harry whispered pressing his cheek to hers and placing a hand timidly on her waist._

_Parvati gasped as Ginny's chocolate brown eyes, reflecting the firelight, centered on Harry's eyes. "Dance with me?" Ginny asked, her soft voice barely audible. Harry gave a small nod of acceptance and he slipped his other hand around her waist. Ginny leaned into him and the couple swayed slowly to the music gazing into their partner's eyes. Harry leaned down, brushing his lips softly against Ginny's. Ginny returned the kiss and then let her head rest against Harry's chest._

"_Figures," Parvati grumbled. "Now he learns how to effing dance."_

_._

Harry watching the memory laughed out loud at the snide remark. "Oh, Merlin…I forget sometimes what a horrible date I was to poor Parvati. She didn't deserve to take a git like me to the ball."

"She ended up with a boy from Durmstrang that night didn't she?" Ginny asked.

"I don't recall…"

.

_Younger Ginny was now clenching Harry tightly and kissing his neck. Harry, one hand on her waist pulling her against him and the other hand twirling a lock of her soft red hair, pressed kisses to the side of her head and nuzzled her ear as the couple slowly danced to the waning firelight. As the song ended Harry placed a soft full kiss on Ginny's lips, sealing the end of their very first dance._

_Ginny blinked to clear her eyes as the couple separated. The next song was of a faster beat and they would not have been able to dance so closely to it. She leaned forward and kissed her boyfriend again. "Maybe that'll keep your nightmares away," she said in a slightly raspy voice._

"_Yeah, I think that should do it." He grinned at her. "That was really excellent…the dance. We should do that again."_

"_We will." Her response left no doubt that she had every desire to dance with him again. She took Harry's hand and led him back to the steps leading up to the boys dorms. "Goodnight Harry." As she finished talking she stood on tiptoe, guided his head down and placed a light kiss to his scar._

_Harry shuddered slightly as her lips touched his forehead._

"_G'night Gin."_

_Ginny stepped away and walked towards the staircase hiding Parvati. Parvati turned quickly and the memory fell to mist leaving Harry and Ginny back in the beach house's kitchen._

_._

Harry looked across the bar at his wife, his green eyes filled with love. "I do love dancing with you Gin. It's one of my greatest pleasures, and I don't know if I can thank Parvati enough for giving us this. To see us alone, from a different viewpoint…" his voice fell away.

"I know," Ginny answered, her voice thick with emotion. "She couldn't have possibly known how special that moment is to us."

"During the hunt, when I watched you on the map. I would think about this, and…and it…it was enough to get me through the next night and make me want to hold on for one more day.

"For me…So many times as a little girl I dreamed about dancing with you and how it would feel to have your arms around me…"

"I think I may owe Parvati a real dance."

"Yeah, you might. We're invited to her and Padma's birthday party next month. You can make it up to her then."

Harry nodded, and pulled the memory from the pensieve, placing it carefully back into the small glass bottle.

Ginny poured the next memory into the carved stone pensieve saying "This one is number twenty-four. Harry waited as Ginny stirred in the next memory. When the swirling calmed he took his wife's hand and led her into the pensieve.

.

**Bottle Twenty-Four**

_The couple landed gracefully on a large outdoor balcony. To their left a wall of plate glass separated them from a large office and conference room. To their right the balcony afforded an unobstructed view of the perfectly manicured quidditch pitch. The evening sun was shrouded by the massive Chudley stadium, leaving the far side grandstands in low light and shadow. The stadium's large magical lighting system lit the center of the pitch brilliantly, allowing the two flyers zipping up and down the pitch near daylight visibility. _

_Harry shot off to the north end of the stadium, quaffle tucked neatly in his arm. Ginny, streaked along beside him, taunting and zipping around him trying her best to steal the well protected quaffle._

_Coach Grey stood at the railing watching the young couple racing across the pitch. Harry dove, going nearly vertical in an impressive dive. Ginny not to be outdone simply took up the challenge and dove after him, her laughter flowing up from the pitch. She caught Harry when he leveled off and popped the quaffle from his grasp. She performed an inverted barrel roll and in a flash she was racing to the far end of the pitch with Harry trying to close the distance before she could score._

_Another man, dressed in a maintenance uniform, stepped onto the balcony. "Sorry to interrupt sir, but I'm supposed to turn the lights off now."_

"_What?" Coach Grey turned to face the man. "Sorry Joe. You know what, they're having fun, let's give them a few more minutes before we run them off. Yeah?"_

"_Whoo hoo! I got it now!" Harry hollered as he tossed the quaffle through the center ring. Ginny dove and caught the quaffle before it hit the ground._

"_Lucky shot Potter. Now make room for a real chaser." Ginny taunted back._

"_I'll give them about ten more minutes." Joe said as he left the balcony. The coach nodded in agreement._

_Joe's place as company for Coach Grey was replaced by a woman with dark hair, muscular build and intense dark brown eyes. She slid open the door and walked brusquely to the railing, her dark green cloak swirling about her feet._

"_I put the reports from the scheduling committee on your desk on the way through, Nelson," she said, watching the two young adults flying back up the pitch._

"_Thanks Gwenog. How you doing?" Coach Grey returned, still watching his seeker fly with his girlfriend._

"_Well, we need one more really good chaser. Cait…"_

_"I asked about you, not your team," he reminded her. "I don't care if you came over on official business to drop off committee notes, we've been in this league for too long to not be friends."_

_"Too true Nelson." She watched Ginny barrel roll around Harry and pop the quaffle out of his hold from behind him. "I'm doing alright. I'm having a good season, and Mum and Dad are doing well. They told me to give you their best next time I saw you."_

"_Tell them I said 'hello' and if they ever get tired of rooting for their daughter I've got some box seats for them here." Coach Grey motioned out towards Harry and Ginny. "Remember when quidditch was fun?" Ginny's infectious laughter wafted up from below. She was hovering on her broom and juggling the quaffle from one hand to the other behind her back, making Harry swipe at it. He wasn't very successful, but he was smiling from ear to ear._

"_It was fun until a certain workout obsessed coach signed me out of the training league after Puddlemere put me on waivers." Gwenog teased. "Now its still fun, but it isn't as…enjoyable?" her tone changed as she finished her half-question, half-statement. Ginny flicked the quaffle behind Harry, dove under him to catch the quaffle cleanly and rocketed off towards the goal. "Ha-ha," Gwenog sniggered at the move Ginny stymied Harry with._

"_So that's Potter?" She questioned, watching Harry close the distance on Ginny so quickly she blinked in surprise. "Wow he's quick…Those two are having quite the time aren't they?" She watched the couple as they flew side by side up the pitch, sharing a high speed kiss._

"_Kissing at seventy miles an hour, that can't be safe, can it?" Coach Grey wondered aloud._

"_Probably not, but they appear to be fairly proficient at it." Gwenog replied cheekily. "Who's the girl?"_

"_Ginny Weasley, she comes to his games when she can get away from school."_

"_Weasley…Weasley…" Gwenog mumbled, racking her brain to remember why the name sounded familiar._

"_Her older brother Charlie was offered a tryout as seeker by a few teams years ago, but turned them down to do something else. Don't remember what though." Coach Grey offered._

"_No, I've heard the name more recently than that…"_

_Gwenog watched as Harry pulled into a tricky outboard dive from almost two hundred feet up, clutching the quaffle tightly in his left hand. Ginny, not to be outdone, simply rolled to her back and performed a flawless representation of the dive, only she was inverted to boot. With her long flaming ponytail streaking behind her she gained on Harry and to his amazement gracefully picked the quaffle from his grasp. Ginny rolled from the inversion, continuing the dive and leveled off so close to the turf that her toes skimmed the velvety green grass._

"_Holy mother of…dibs on the girl" Gwenog called out._

"_What?" Coach Grey challenged. "You don't get dibs in my stadium!"_

"_Yes I do I called them," Gwenog retorted. "Weasley…hmmm…wait! That's the girl Horace is on me about to come scout. He keeps inviting me to these little soirées, and I keep declining. But if she's going to be there I'll make sure to go to the next one."_

"_They're going to kill themselves," Coach Grey stood anxiously, watching over his world famous seeker and his loving girlfriend. Harry was now flying forward __at a__ leisurely pace. Ginny was flying backwards, with her broom parallel to, and just inches away from Harry's. The couple held hands, guiding their brooms with just their thighs and leaning forward, kissing each other through a fit of giggles._

_._

Live Ginny laughed. "Snogging at a hundred feet in the air. Now that's talent."

"Sure is," Harry joined her in laughing.

.

"_No they won't. He's a natural…and she…she has more raw broom control than anyone I've seen in a decade." Gwenog continued to watch the young couple fly lazily across the pitch and kiss periodically._

"_Are you going to fight me for rights on her? I know I called dibs, but it is your stadium." Gwenog asked._

"_I should. I've never seen her fly until just now. If I'd have known I'd have gone after her. But you said Horatio somebody clued you in to her?"_

"_Not Horatio, Horace, Horace Slughorn. He's a professor at Hogwarts where she goes to school," Gwenog replied._

"_Well then the league will see her as your prospect, but I wouldn't dilly-dally with it. Meet her and make sure the league office knows about it so you have first refusal."_

"_I will," Gwenog promised. "Any more insight on her?"_

"_She's Ginny…And now I see how brilliant a flyer she is, but more than that, she's got a great sense of humor, lightens up the team's mood by teasing her brother, but most of all…she treats Harry honestly."_

_"I don't follow," Gwenog commented viewing the scene below her. Harry and Ginny stowed their brooms into Harry's equipment bag, and stood center pitch. Harry pulled her close to him, bowing his head to her. Ginny in turn raised her head and the couple kissed unaware of their audience._

_Coach Grey explained. "Well, with Harry there's a lot of baggage. Don't get me wrong, he's the most valuable player we have. Forget his skills on the __pitch, off__ the pitch he handles himself really well. He commands respect even at his young age, and the team follows him, even the more veteran players." He paused to think out his wording. "But, we've had to triple security and Sterling has to make bogus hotel reservations when we travel to keep the press off him. And we get about five times the normal amount of fan mail, and all of it has to get searched…"_

_He sighed, watching as the couple walked slowly across the pitch, hand in hand. "Then there are the fan girls. I've never seen so many fan girls around any stadium in my fourteen years of coaching and seven years of playing. I didn't know that many witches existed, and they're all doing anything they can to get to him. They send the poor kid their knickers in the mail, try to spike our __team's__ water supply with love potions, and not a one of them cares about who he is as a person…But Ginny, she's terrific. She loves him, and takes care of him when she can, gets him to laugh when he gets all moody. I don't know if its true or not, but I heard through the team rumor mill that she broke about a hundred school rules to try to get to his games earlier in the season. But, like I said, she treats him like a normal eighteen year old boy, and he needs to be treated as normal as possible."_

"_Eighteen year old boy she's madly in love with you mean? She may just be the most normal thing in his life." Gwenog offered._

.

"Hey, ya hear that Gin! You're normal!" Harry grinned at Ginny watching the memory.

"Stuff if Potter!" Ginny growled, trying her hardest not to smile.

.

"_Sounds like a great girl, sure am glad I have dibs…" Gwenog said, smiling the whole time _

_Nelson and Gwenog peered down to the center of the pitch, watching the couple continue talking while holding hands. The lights to the pitch snapped off, leaving the memory in the dark._

_Darkness gave way to the flowing white fog of the memory, transporting the couple back to the present time._

_._

Ginny spoke first. "I never knew Coach Grey knew Gwenog that well."

"Neither did I, but I guess in the professional quidditch league sooner or later everyone knows everyone else in some way or another." Harry shrugged.

"What I notice is that from someone else's perspective that was a really romantic moment. But at the time, I didn't see it as such. It was a fun night spent on the pitch, flying and having fun. It was just us being us." Ginny said.

"But that's kind of like Teddy's memory, isn't it? The simple everyday things are what make us who we are, and define our relationships."

"I think so."

"And a little bit of snogging," Harry added.

"Yeah," Ginny sniggered. "There is the snogging." she finished speaking just as her lips playfully nipped at Harry's neck.

He squirmed away, clutching one of the thirty-one, small, crystal bottles tightly in his hand. "Stop it, I don't wanna drop this," he whined.

Ginny stopped and let him replace bottle twenty-four's memory. While he returned his bottle to the box she deftly opened the next bottle, numbered sixteen, and let the slippery, silken, strand of memory settle into the pensieve.

.

**Bottle Sixteen**

The happy duo leaned forward, tipping their faces to the liquid mist contained by the small, carved, stone bowl.

.

_As they fell through the swirling mist, Ron's voice surrounded them. "I'm probably not doing this right, but just watch all of them, yeah?"_

_Harry landed upright with Ginny close by him on his left. The scene filled in moments afterwards. Harry tensed up, recognizing the scene quickly. The pair glanced around the lower level of their carriage house. Ron strode quickly across the floor and bounded up the steps quickly. Present day Harry and Ginny followed._

_._

Ginny broke the silence. "When? It's not familiar to me."

"It is to me," Harry said numbly. "This is the night you said 'no' to when I…"

"Ohhhh…" Ginny replied lowly.

.

"_Damnit Harry, open up!" Ron bellowed. Moments later, Ron raised his beefy leg and with one giant kick knocked the door off its hinges, splintering the door frame in the process. Ron rushed into the loft quickly with live Harry and Ginny following right behind him, saying, "Harry, go see her, she needs you. Ginny is…"_

_Fleur jumped in surprise at the sudden entrance. A distraught Harry turned to glare at his best mate. "Ron can you stop being her brother long enough to be my friend?" Harry challenged._

"_Look mate, I know how you must…" Ron began._

_"No you don't Ron! When you asked Hermione she said 'Yes', so you don't know, okay!" Harry screamed at his best friend as he stood in the center of the room shaking._

_._

The initial scene melted away leaving the couple watching the memory alone.

"Hmmm," Ginny mused softly. "I wonder…"

"I'm not sure I know where he's going with this," Harry said.

.

_The Gryffindor common room filled in around the couple. As usual, the room was busy if not crowded. Students lounged around, studied at tables or played games while sitting on the floor in front of the large fireplace. A younger Ron pushed through the room, knocking over a small first year boy in the process and climbed the stairs to the boys dormitories with purpose. A younger Ginny followed close behind him, she was maybe thirteen or fourteen as her body had not begun to truly develop yet, but was showing a hint of curves beneath her robes._

_The memory continued to play out as Ron threw open the door to the dormitory roughly. It smacked the wall and rebounded back into Ginny, hitting her on the arm. "OW!" she yelped. "Settle down you git!"_

"_NO! What a glory hog! I knew it, just knew he'd do it," Ron fumed._

"_What? You're mental. He did not." Ginny retorted._

"_He lied to me, to my face. He said he'd not enter the tournament. And what does he do? He goes on and does it. What an arse." Ron continued venting his outrage. "As if he isn't famous enough, now he has to go and do this."_

"_Ron, talk to him. You can't think…"_

_"I'll not talk to him. Not anymore. Not after the way he betrayed me. The great Harry Potter the 'Chosen One' has to be the best, forgetting his real friends. After everything last year…I bet he did it just to get bloody Cho Chang to look at him."_

_Ginny in the memory blanched as Ron made his comment about Cho, but she didn't say anything._

_Ron continued, "Well I'm done with him. See how far he gets in this without my help. I'm tired of playing second to him anyway. I'll not talk to him."_

_"Look, Ron," Ginny moved forward and put a hand on her brother's forearm. "I think that…"_

_"No Ginny, I won't. He's the glory hog, not me. Besides, you're just taking his side because you're crushing on him." Ron spewed venomously._

_"Sod off Ron!" Ginny spat and walked out the door._

"_That's it. I'm done being the famous Harry Potter's lackey." Ron swore._

_._

"Why'd he give us this?" Harry questioned. "This must have been Halloween night, fourth year after the Goblet of Fire spit out my name."

Ginny nodded. "Yes, between the announcement and when you came up to try and talk to him."

"Still, it's odd he gave us this one."

As the couple conversed the memory shifted from the scene in the dorm to a new setting. The dark red and gold room was replaced by a more cheerful, yet just as familiar location. The couple now stood still, letting the kitchen of Shell Cottage finish materializing.

.

_Ron, looking gaunt and dirty stepped in from the biting cold of the windswept bluff. His body language hinted at his anger. Bill Weasley, looking utterly shocked at seeing his youngest brother at the door, simply stepped aside to let him over to the table._

"_Ron? What's happened? Are you alright?" Bill questioned quickly, not waiting for an answer between questions._

_Ron looked up to face his brother, hurt and anger flowing though his vivid blue eyes. He didn't bother to answer his oldest brother._

"_Ron? Come off it, what's happened? Where are Harry and Hermione? You're all together right?"_

"_NO!" Ron spat. "They're together, I'm not. I can't deal with him any more, won't deal with him. He's a better backstabber than friend."_

"_Who are you…Harry? How is Harry stabbing you in the back?"_

"_He and Hermione…they've been, well you know, behind my back. He just…once again, famous Harry Potter gets what he wants. The rest of the world can sod off as long as he gets his. Forget that he's supposed to be my friend."_

"_Wait, Harry…and Hermione…That doesn't make sense. I've always seen them as a brother, sister thing." Bill countered._

"_Yeah, that's just it isn't it. Had us all fooled, me most of all. Wait till Ginny finds out."_

_"Well, even if they are, why does that affect you? Are you and Hermione…Ginny?"_

_"No, not yet…"_

_"Then what…Ron, I'm going to ask you straight out and if you don't tell me the truth I'll beat the stuffing out of you." Bill cracked his knuckles._

_Ron at seventeen years old was an easy six foot tall and was quite muscular having grown into his body over the spring and summer. But Bill Weasley was another two inches taller than Ron and his fully developed adult body gave him a good twenty-five pound advantage over his brother. "Ron, where are Harry and Hermione?"_

"_I don't know exactly. And I don't care. They can…"_

_"Are you daft! You left them? You idiot!" Bill fumed. "They're your best friends! The three of you…Ron, you're not making sense."_

_"You don't know what it's been like. We don't have any food, and Hermione's cooking is rubbish, and Harry…Well, he doesn't have a clue what to do next. He's lost. It's pointless." Ron's voice softened as his outburst finished. _

_"And when they're hungry, lost, and have little hope of succeeding, much less surviving, you did a runner on them." Bill said with utter disgust in his voice. "Didn't ever think I'd see the day when a Weasley was a coward. Shit Ron, you're even lower than Percy."_

"_Take it back!" Ron shouted, throwing a punch at Bill._

_Bill batted Ron's punch away with ease, not even bothering to flinch. "No, because it's true Ron, you are. See Percy is being an arse, and he's too stupid and proud to see what he's doing, how he's hurting Mum and Dad, but you know what? At least he had the balls to stand up to them and make his decision. You didn't have the balls to face Harry or Hermione, you ran like a little girl. And you didn't have enough backbone to go home, you came here." Bill glowered at Ron, his scars highlighted white against his face which flushed red in anger. "You couldn't even run away with dignity. I'm sick of looking at you."_

_Ron toed the floor, his demeanor completely changing after hearing Bill's harsh words. He stared at his dirty trainers, not willing to face his brother. Softly he asked the question he dreaded. "So, can I stay here? For a bit?"_

_Bill sighed heavily. "Go put your stuff upstairs, first door on the right. I'll tell Fleur you're here when she gets back from The Burrow." He paused for a long few seconds and said very seriously, "While you're up there take a good long look at yourself and ask yourself if you like who you are. I'm done talking about this, goodnight."_

_Bill walked out the door, leaving Ron alone in the kitchen._

_._

"Wow, Bill really lit into him," Harry commented. It wasn't till then that he noticed Ginny's face, red with anger.

"He's lucky. If I'd have got to him he'd have been hexed to oblivion, and after I restored him I'd have done it again."

"Gin, calm down a little." he winced as he said it knowing she wasn't likely to view his instructions favorably. "Please?" He added in a softer voice. "You knew he left, I told you all about it under the willow tree."

"I know, but damn Harry, he just walked out on the two of you. And here I was, willing, wanting to go with you, and I couldn't, and yet…"

Harry pulled her into a hug. "I know Gin…I know…" He kissed her brow, capturing a wisp of crimson hair as he did so. "Why is he giving memories of him running away or deserting me? It doesn't make much sense."

Ginny nuzzled his neck. "Kind of worked me up, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but you're dead sexy when you get all bothered like that." Harry's comment made Ginny blush for a moment before she stood on tiptoe and planted a very passionate kiss on his lips, which he returned enthusiastically.

.

_By this time, Shell Cottage had long disappeared and a new scene formed around the couple. The new bit of time playing out before them had three main players: Hermione, Ginny and of course, Ron. The familiar room, Ginny's at the Burrow, was lit only by the waning sunlight. The oil lamps on the walls remained unlit, leaving most of the room in shadow. _

_Ginny sat heartbroken on her small bed, crying into her hands. Hermione paced back and forth nervously, muttering to herself. Ron entered the room quietly, his face marked with tears and frustration. He faced Ginny._

"_I tried sis, I tried. So did Fleur, we stalled as long as possible…You needed to come see him and you didn't. I love you sis, but this is your fault. You love him, why didn't you say yes? I know I'm not the smartest person, but I don't get it." Ron stepped forward and leaned down, placing a loving, brotherly kiss on top of her head. Tears flowed freely from Ginny's eyes, running down her small hands and sliding down her forearms._

_He stood up to his full height and faced his fiancée, saying, "You too 'Mione, I love you, but I can't believe you kept this from him, I'm telling Mum the same thing on the way out."_

_Ron shook his head and then focused his tear filled eyes on his sister. "Ginny, I'm sorry. I don't know where he's going." He looked to Hermione. "You staying here tonight?"_

_Ginny answered the question first. "No, go home you two, I want to be alone."_

_Ron took Hermione's hand and led her from the room. Behind them the sound of Ginny barricading and setting wards on her door could be heard until the silencing spell took effect and all noise from the small, normally cheerful room, ceased. Around them white fog rolled as the scene changed yet again._

_._

"Gin…Whew…" Harry tried to compose himself.

"I know, we're together but it still hurts. I've been surprised at how emotional all this has been. These memories, seeing them play out, I wasn't really prepared for the emotions." Ginny said, finishing her sentence by wiping a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Me either. The times I've been in a pensieve with Dumbledore or Bill, the scenes played out, but the feelings weren't at all strong. It was more like watching the telly. But watching our past, even the parts I never saw before, like you during that DA meeting, it all just cascades down and envelopes you. You feel every emotion again, more vividly in fact."

.

_Ron and Hermione led the real Harry and Ginny into the next piece of memory, taking place at their flat in Ottery St. Catchpole. Ron muttered the unlocking charm and Hermione pushed open the door to the nice sized flat. Ron strode through the living room and down the hallway to the largest bedroom. Hermione, and the Harry and Ginny watching the memory, hurried to keep up with the redhead's long strides._

_By the time they trio reached the bedroom Ron was well into throwing items on the bed for a trip. A few pairs of blue jeans, shirts, jumpers and socks lay strewn across the bed. Ron stood in the walk-in closet reaching to the top shelf, and yanked down one of his Cannons duffel bags. Without looking he tossed the duffel bag over his shoulder where it landed with a thump on the floor next to the bed._

"_RONALD!" Hermione screeched. "What are you doing?"_

"_Goin' after him." Ron answered without interrupting his hasty packing. He tromped into the loo and returned seconds later with a hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush and a set of pale blue matched towels._

"_Not the good towels," Hermione chastised him gently._

_Her remark crushed the little bit of control Ron desperately clung to. "I don't care about the stupid towels! He's gone and it's up to me to go get him!" Ron's voice cracked showing just how tenuous a hold he was maintaining on his emotions._

_Hermione walked slowly towards her husband. "He's probably apparated away by now…He could be anywhere…Ron, I…"_

"_No 'Mione, he rode off on that chopper of his. He's going to avoid magical stuff and try to be a muggle."_

_"Ron, please, we don't know…"_

_"Maybe you don't, but I do. I know him. Twice I've left him, run away from him, and I WON'T let it happen again." His hands shook, hampering his ability to stuff his belongings into the battered orange bag. He gave it up as a bad job and sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Seconds later he stood up angrily. "This is Ginny's fault!"_

_"No, Ron…"_

_"Don't cover for her! It is. Damn! All this time, the brothers and me, we were all worried that he'd do something to Ginny, to break her heart…Never once did we consider that maybe it might go the other way. Well we all looked out for Ginny, but who's looking out for Harry! Huh? Who? ME! That's who. And if I have to go back home and drag her sorry arse…"_

_"RON!" Hermione grabbed him by the arms and shook him, even though he towered over her. Once she had his undivided attention she continued. "Ron, you saw her…She's devastated…Don't go after her."_

_Ron sighed and once again sat down on the bed. Hermione joined him and pulled his arm around her shoulders. "How'd it all blow up? This morning, I figured we'd all be spending the night at the Burrow toasting an engagement…"_

_"And instead we're all left wondering, what if?"_

_"Now what do I do? He's my best mate."_

_Hermione slipped an arm behind him and gave him a squeeze. "Ron, you said he promised to be at the next practice, __right__?" Ron nodded. "Then let him go." She quickly added, "Just for now…Please?" when he looked hesitant._

_Ron returned her hug, pulling the brunette witch tightly to him. His body shuddered and he let loose the emotions flooding him and cried on his wife's shoulder. "What if I never see him again…"_

"_You will," she answered softly._

"_How can you be so sure?"_

"_I'm not."_

"_I don't know how, but I'm gonna find a way to help them work this out. I swear it." _

_Hermione, in reaction to his promise, pulled herself into his lap, hugging him as strongly as she could. "I know you will Love…" The memory shimmered and the expected whitish haze enveloped the couple watching the scene._

_._

"Well, now I feel guilty," Ginny mumbled.

"Please don't," Harry returned. "There is more than enough blame for both of us. I feel guilty too. I never stopped to think how our split hurt the family."

"I didn't either. Not until later when I went to face everyone. But, we needed to focus on us, not them."

"But we hurt them, and this was Ron. How broken up were Mum and Dad?"

"Pretty broken up, Mum cooked a lot, so I know she was upset."

"Why do I want to apologize to everyone all over again?" Harry queried.

"Because you're a softy. And because you're a nice guy," Ginny answered.

.

_The mist subsided, leaving Harry and Ginny in a place and time both recognized, the night before the wedding in the Burrow's kitchen. Harry in the memory sat on the long bench beside the table with Ginny on his lap. The point of view was from the door to the study._

_Hermione spoke softly, 'Let them finish, then we'll go in." Ron bobbed his head in agreement._

_Harry sighed. "I love you too…I wish my Mum and Dad could be here."_

"_So do I…but they're here…" she placed her hand on his heart, "…and they're here." She placed her hand over her heart._

_Harry pulled her close and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I love you, Gin, so much," he whispered._

_Ginny kissed his neck. "Why don't we get you home?"_

_Hermione nudged Ron forward and the couple entered the well worn kitchen._

_Ginny rose from her spot in Harry's lap and spoke as the couple entered, "Hermione, can you floo Harry to the loft and get him settled in? I want to talk to my brother for a second."_

"_Sure Ginny. Come on Harry, I'll help you get settled." Hermione said. Harry took her offered hand, letting her lead Harry to the floo. Each tossed in a pinch of powder, calling out 'Potter Carriage House' and left in a flash of green flames._

_When the fires died down Ginny turned back to her brother. She smiled in gratitude. Ron, standing with his hands in his pockets, looked his little sister over. "Whaaa? What'd I do?"_

_Ginny walked slowly towards her brother, never relinquishing the steady gaze she'd fixed him with. "You know what you did…"_

_She lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck and pulling herself up to place a big kiss on his cheek. Ron pulled his hands from his pockets and hugged his sister._

"_Thank you," she mumbled into his neck. "Thank you for going after him, finding him, bringing him home."_

"_Well, you know…he's my best mate…and you're my baby sister…so I had to do something, yeah?"_

_Ginny clenched him tighter. "Yeah."_

"_I think I should be thanking you though," Ron whispered back._

_Ginny unwrapped her arms from Ron's neck and pulled back a touch. "For what?" she questioned._

_Ron smiled. "For loving him, and not hexing him." Ron took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the table. "Harry…he was afraid to come back here tonight. He didn't want to tell you, and he was scared you'd fly off the handle at him. But you handled him just right Ginny. You kept your cool and held him and…"_

_"What else could I do Ron? He was hurting…he looked…I dunno, like a little puppy that was about to be spanked for wetting the floor or something…" Ginny hopped up and sat on the table next to Ron. "I want to thank you…I never said it before I don't think…but I know what you did for us that summer, when you kept talking to him and tricking us to meet each other 'accidentally' and…for being his best friend."_

_"He's my best friend, and always will be…and, well if we're going to get into all these 'feelings'…" He said emphasizing 'feelings' and flashing a brief smile. "Ginny, it's been a long time since I've told you this, I think…But…I love you. I do. And I may have…in the past…given you a bit of a hard time about snogging Harry any place you could...hallways, quidditch pitch, common room, restaurants, Diagon Alley…" He nudged her with his elbow._

_"Hey, we don't snog everywhere…" She leaned a shoulder into him._

"_Yes you do. You snogged him in front of the Wizengamot."  
_

"_We deserved that one." Ginny replied defensively._

"_Yeah, you did…I'm glad for it…all the kissing." Ron smiled. "He deserves it. He is and will always be my best friend. In the past I kind of messed that up a couple times…but I'd like to think I've learned. I'd do anything for him."_

"_So, do you think we can find the stone he was looking for? You know what it looks like, right?" Ginny questioned._

"_No Ginny, I don't think we can, or should."_

"_But you saw him Ron, how else can we get his parents to the wedding?"_

"_I dunno Ginny. There aren't any portraits of them, and he's only got a __few__ small pictures of them."_

"_Well what can we do?" she said in despair. "We have to do something."_

"_Simple, we'll give him ours."_

"_How?" Ginny's eyes lit with a bit of hope._

"_Well, after Dad hands you off, he and Mum could just…you know…move over and sit on his side." Ron smiled. "Pretty easy really, isn't it?"_

_Ginny smiled and slipped from the table. "Come on brother of mine, walk me to my room."_

_Ron stood too and looped his arm over his sister's shoulder. "Hey Gin-Gin…remember when you were like nine years old and you made me play wedding? Put all that black shoe polish in my hair and made me stand in place for Harry?"_

_Ginny blushed, but stayed silent as the siblings climbed up to the first floor landing._

"_Well tomorrow it happens for real." Ron said._

_Ginny let him into her room and she sat on her bed, pulling a battered, stuffed pegasus into her lap from where it rested near her pillow. "I can't wait. I want this so bad."_

_"I know you do, and after tomorrow it will be up to you…Harry and I aren't as close as we used to be. Between our wives, or almost wife, and him in training now…we just don't see each other as much as we used to. It's just life moving on, but I worry about him still. I know he can take care of himself, but…"_

_"You're worried about his heart?" Ginny asked._

_Ron swallowed thickly and nodded. "Promise me."_

_Ginny rose from her spot and took the four steps over to where Ron was standing by the window looking out over the back yard of the Burrow. "I promise. I promise I'll love him forever, that I'll respect him, support him, do everything I can to make sure his life is everything he deserves."_

_Ron leaned down and pulled his sister into a hug rivaling one from his mother. "Thanks sis."_

_"And I'm gonna shag him rotten. Every chance I get," she teased him._

"_Gin, I can't believe the number of times I've had to say this, but I no have desire what-so-ever to hear about what you two get up to. I don't want to hear one word. But I give you full permission to shag him as often as possible."_

_Ginny giggled. "I'll make sure Harry knows you said we had to shag."_

_Now it was Ron's turn to laugh. "He's my best friend, I only want the best for him." His voice calmed and his tone changed to reflect he was now serious. "That's you Gin. You are without a doubt the best thing in his life."_

_Ginny blinked rapidly to keep her eyes from watering. "Thanks Ron."_

_Ron hugged her again. "I love you Ginny. Goodnight."_

"_G'night Ron."_

_He released the hug and walked across the room, leaving the young woman alone. Ginny's room swirled into white mist. The couple watching the memory waited as the fog swirled across and around their bodies._

_._

When the mist cleared leaving them in the kitchen of the beach house Harry and Ginny gazed at each other.

"I never knew about that little talk." Harry said.

"It was a brother-sister thing," Ginny replied.

Harry took her hand and pulled his wife close. "Ickle Ronniekins is all grown up." He chuckled.

"Took him long enough. But he did, and I'm glad he's your best friend, and that you're his."

"Hey Gin…about that promise…" Harry smiled sneakily.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Promise…Ohhh does ickle Harrikins need a shag?"

Harry nodded vigorously.

"Well let's go then. We wouldn't want to let Ron down would we?" Ginny smirked as she grabbed Harry's hand and forcefully pulled him upstairs to the bedroom.

.


	11. Chapter 11 Bottles 8, 1

**Chapter Summary**

Vacation ends in a surprising fashion. But before they leave for home Harry and Ginny take the time to finish the last bottles of their anniversary gift. So join them as they complete the journey started twenty-nine bottles ago.

**Bottles Eight and One**

The warm spray of the shower cascaded down across Harry's shoulders warming his back and filling the marble tiled shower with billowing clouds of steam. While the shower warmed his back, Ginny's body warmed his front. Their co-mingling in the shower capped off a lovely afternoon spent alone in the beach house, sans clothing.

Harry finished massaging the floral scented shampoo into her gloriously red hair, letting the lather build as he worked it down her long red tresses. Ginny let the shampoo settle, keeping her eyes closed, and then lifted her hands to begin washing the suds from her head. Harry dropped his hands to her waist as she rinsed, and the light touch of his fingers made her giggle.

"Stop it," she chuckled.

"Earlier you told me never to stop," he countered.

"That was before, and I didn't want it to end, but now we're in the shower and if we stay in here we'll end up looking like prunes." Ginny bent at the waist, shaking her hair out gently and letting the last of the shampoo wash out.

"Fine, fine," Harry huffed in mock despair.

Ginny finished the rinse and stood up facing her husband. "And stop the pouting." She tapped his nose with her index finger, pretending to scold him.

He flashed her the crooked half-smile he knew she adored, and used a wandless, non-verbal summoning charm to bring their towels from the racks. Ginny grabbed her towel from where it floated just out of the shower spray. Harry turned off the shower and grasped his own towel. Ginny, now wrapped in her towel, stepped out of the shower carefully, but screamed in shock.

"Arrgghhh!" She yelped.

"What!" Harry stepped out of the shower. _"Accio wand!"_ his holly and phoenix-feather wand snapped to his hand from where he'd left it on the nightstand.

Perched on the towel rack near the frosted window, a large, bright green, rose-throated parrot waited patiently with a neatly folded parchment in its pale yellow beak. Harry tossed his wand to the counter, and began to dry his hair.

"Mail…mail is here," the parrot called out in a scratchy impersonation of a female voice.

"Thank you," Ginny replied taking the note from the bird. The green parrot released his hold on the letter, but continued to wait patiently on the towel bar.

"Oh my lord…Harry, guess what?"

"What?" Harry replied, drying his back.

"Percy is getting married! Tomorrow morning!"

"Percy? Mister I-never-do-anything-without-the-proper-authorization-and-forms Weasley, is getting married? Just like that?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Evidently so, according to Mum. I guess working with George has changed him…Her name is Audrey, and they met…no! Harry they only met two nights ago," Ginny said excitedly.

Harry, curiosity peaked, read the brief note over Ginny's shoulder. "They met at a hearing at the Ministry, where he was called as a witness to one of George's pranks gone awry." he read.

"She was the solicitor on the case…" Ginny read.

"They settled…George won, and he asked her out in the hallway outside the chambers…" Harry continued.

"They spent the next two days together, he asked and she said 'yes' to him." Ginny's slim finger traced the lines on the page, keeping their place. "Tomorrow is the earliest they can do it, Kingsley will officiate, in his office. Nine in the morning tomorrow…"

"Well I'll be…" Harry muttered. "Who knew ol' Percy had it in him?"

"We'll have to leave tonight instead of in the morning so we can wake up at home and have a night to adjust to the time change." Ginny said. "We need to start packing." She tossed her towel across the shower rod to dry. Harry's joined hers moments later. Both made their way into the bedroom and dressed hastily in comfortable house clothes.

"Why don't we do the last two bottles and finish our vacation, then we'll apparate back to the loft later tonight?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Ginny smiled, holding out her hand to her husband. Once he intertwined his fingers with hers she led him back to the kitchen and the pensieve.

"So, there are only two left," Harry offered as he lifted the last two unviewed bottles of memories from the red velvet lined wooden box. He turned the first in his fingers, "Eight." he read.

Ginny pulled the other bottle from his fingers. "And, one."

Harry twisted the glass stopper from his bottle, tilted the bottle over the small stone bowl and let the silken strand of memory fall gracefully into the swirling silvery mist of the pensieve.

The couple touched their noses to the mist and fell headlong into the next memory.

.

**Bottle Eight**

_Harry landed first, with Ginny landing just a second later to his left. The landings deposited the couple on the lush green lawns of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Up the hill a ways to their left stood the grand old castle, tall and proud. To their right another hundred feet or so down the gently sloping hill lay the Black Lake. Students roamed casually about singly or in groups, a few couples walked along holding hands. Hagrid, with Fang right beside him, ambled slowly along, a large canvas bag slung over his shoulder._

"_Hey Hagrid!" Neville called out where he was standing knee deep in the lake, pulling various waterborne plants up for examination._

"_H'lo there Neville. Did'ya find them Mantallo roots by me cottage?"_

"_Yes, thanks for keeping a lookout for them."_

"_Glad ter help." The half giant smiled at the sixth year student. Fang, lifted his nose, tracking a faint scent in the air and then bounded over a small hill to a more secluded bit of the lakeshore._

"_Eeek!" a girl's voice squeaked in surprise._

"_Fang, Hiya! Where's Hagrid, huh? You know he'll be looking for you." Harry's voice spilled into the memory. Hagrid caught up to the errant beast of a dog and found Ginny petting the thick fur on its chest. Fang rolled to lay on his back, exposing his soft stomach to the young witch._

"_Ginny, 'Arry, nice ter see ya. Come here Fang, ya ruddy beast, leave the students alone so they ca…" He paused, and Fang made no move to imply he was done receiving a belly rub from Ginny. Hagrid studied the two students; Harry with his back against the large elm tree, Ginny curled up in Harry's lap. "What 'xactly are the two of yer up to anyway?" He cast a suspicious look at his friends. "Yer sup'osed to be studyin'," he said warningly._

"_We are," Harry defended their actions._

"_She's in yer lap 'Arry, Don't look like studying."_

"_Hagrid, he's helping me study for my owls, watch." She turned to Harry "Go ahead, Harry."_

.

Real Ginny giggled. "You did have your own way of helping me study."

"Hey, you were a very willing student, and if I remember right you did quite well on your O.W.L.s."

"I did, so your methods must have worked." Ginny laughed.

.

_Harry pulled Ginny's copy of 'The Monster Book of Monsters' from beside her bag, rubbed its spine and opened to the middle. "Ok Gin, How many fingers does a Bowtruckle have?"_

"_Easy two on each hand, four total," she answered confidently._

"_Well done," Harry replied. "And your reward." He leaned forward and kissed her. "For extra credit, what could you use to distract a Bowtruckle?"_

_Ginny bit her lip, and then answered, "Wood lice?" but it sounded as if it were more of a question than her answer._

"_Right again." Harry kissed her a second time, and then faced Hagrid. "See I'm helping her study, every time she gets a right answer, she gets a kiss. It's the rewards system, kind of like training Fang here. When he does something good, you toss him some steak, right?"_

"_Ya…I ca' see that." Hagrid beamed at the happy couple. "Well then, good luck on the trainin." He patted his thick thigh loudly, "Come on Fang, leave em ter it."_

_Harry's voice carried over, "Name a magical beast, native to Fiji, that has a jeweled shell?"_

_Ginny answered quickly, "A fire crab."_

_Hagrid turned to see the couple in a passionate kiss. "Studyin' my moldy boots," he muttered. "And you, ya lazy sack o' bones," He glared at Fang. "Sellin' out for a belly rub. Wha's got inter ya about that? You ain't let anyone near yer belly since you was a pup, and that was…" Hagrid's normally rough voice softened and faded, never finishing the __sentence._

_White mist swirled quickly and a new scene formed. A young couple, wrapped in each other lay stretched out in the shade of the same elm tree. A dark haired boy and his redheaded girlfriend lay side by side, kissing enthusiastically. Hagrid, walking along, carried a much smaller Fang over his shoulder. The pup squirmed to get down, and Hagrid bent to let the dog off. The small dog quickly ran for the snogging couple._

"_Now Fang, come here. Fang I said come here!" The eager puppy raced to the couple and plowed between them, happily wagging his tail and licking James' face._

"_Arrrghhh!" complained a very mussy-haired James Potter. "Padfoo…hey now, you're not Padfoot." James sat up._

.

"Oh…Gin, that's my Mum and Dad…" Harry watching the scene blurted out.

"It is…Wow, I wasn't expecting this…they look so young even though they're just a few years younger than us."

.

"_Lily? Lily Evans?" Hagrid questioned._

"_Hello Hagrid," Lily answered. Fang settled down between Lily and James. "Oh he's adorable Hagrid, did you just get him?" The large puppy rolled onto his back and Lily began to make long slow strokes across his soft tummy. Fang let his mouth fall open, and his tongue lolled out the side, leaving a trail of slobber on James' robe sleeve._

"_Ya, he's only abou' seven weeks…what're you two up ter?" he cast a suspicious gaze at James. "And where's the rest of yer pals Potter?"_

"_Hey, we're studying," James said righteously._

"_Studyin' what? Don't see no books…" Hagrid squinted at the couple. Lily blushed prettily._

"_It's more of an…an oral exam," James said proudly._

"_James!" Lily punched him in the bicep and sat up, but still rubbed on Fang's belly._

"_Lily, and yer Head Girl too. You ought to be settin' er better 'xample."_

"_Hey, he's Head Boy." She elbowed James._

"_Ow, why are you so violent today?" he complained._

"_Yeah, he is, but most the perfessers 'ave given him up as a los' cause," Hagrid said to Lily in reply._

"_Hey, I'm right here," James pouted._

"_He's my special project. I'm trying to see if I can teach him some manners." Lily smirked. Fang snorted, squirming under Lily's soft touch._

"_Stupid dog's getting more love than I am." James picked at a few stems of grass._

"_He's better behaved than you are." Lily said, never missing a beat._

_Hagrid laughed. "Ya know Lily, you migh' be the only one at ter school tha can 'andle James 'ere." He looked around. "Where's the rest o them?"_

"_Who?" James asked._

"_Yer band o misfits, Lupin, Black and Pett-grew?"_

_Sirius dropped down out of the tree limbs, landing right next to Hagrid and startling both James and Lily. He was young and carefree, his long black hair framing his rather handsome face. "So glad you called good man. Why we're right here, making sure Lily doesn't compromise our friend's moral code."_

_"His whaa?" Hargid muttered._

_"Hello Hagrid," Remus Lupin strolled into the memory quietly. His thin build seemed to suit him more at seventeen than it had in his later years. His face did not show the lines of stress and fatigue that Harry had become so familiar with. "And Peter is here somewhere."_

_"Hello," Peter peeked out from behind a large mulberry bush._

"_What are all of you doing here?" Lily demanded. "Were you spying on us?"_

"_Guys, just go okay?" James said urgently. "Please?"_

"_Sorry," Sirius chimed in. "I think our esteemed friend Mr. Hagrid is correct. We need to protect you from Lily's ample feminine wiles."_

"_No you don't." James retorted.  
_

"_Fermintin wiles?" Hagrid asked in confusion._

"_Sirius Orion Black." Lily called his name in warning._

"_Oh fine, we don't really worry about Lily corrupting our James. We're more interested in his technique. See over the years he's gone out with quite a few birds, many of them quite attractive." Sirius saw Lily reach for her wand. "Of course none as attractive as our fair Lily blossom here, right Remus?"_

"_I'm staying away from this. You're digging this hole on your own." Remus smiled._

"_Thanks, Moony, thanks a lot. But as I was saying, James here has snogged half the girls in the school, and all of the pretty ones at one time or another." Lily twitched her wand in anticipation, causing Sirius to hurry his speech. "But he saved the prettiest for last! And…what we were wondering is…did his snogging technique improve over time? How else can we explain that our lowly prankster was able to land the prettiest, smartest…" Lily raised her wand. "Most compassionate, sweetest girl in the school."_

_Remus cottoned on to where this was going and joined in. "Exactly, so we had to see for ourselves." Lily turned to face him._

_Lily spoke up, "Remus…what are, or were, you and Sirius up to?"_

_Sirius picked up the conversation, "We've been critiquing your, or should I say, James' style."_

"_Please, Merlin, no." James rubbed his hand through his hair, mussing it more than it already was. _

"_At first, I think the snogging was about a seven of ten," Sirius began._

"_Well I had them a little higher, as he was using his off hand to stroke her leg, which to me, was worth another half point, for a seven point five." Moony cheekily added._

"_Peter?" Sirius asked, the quietest person in the memory. _

"_I dunno, looked good to me, I'd give him ten." Peter said softly._

"_Good man!" James crowed._

"_But he's never kissed anyone, so his scores may not be reliable." Sirius pointed out._

_"Have too," Peter grumbled._

_"Well my score should be reliable," Lily said with a smile. "I'd say about a five…five and a half tops."_

_"What?" James pouted. _

_"Well, you tried too much tongue too fast. And they were kind of long, so I had to hold my breath so much I noticed it. You did gain points with the leg rub, but you left open the opportunity to run your fingers through my hair, which you know I like. So, about a five."_

"_But…" James looked crestfallen._

"_Come to think of it, any of the boys I've kissed since fourth year have all been at least sixes. So this has been rather disappointing._

"_But!" Sirius raised his hand. "Just before our Hogwarts Gamekeeper came by, the kissing was a touch more…what's the word I need Moony?"_

"_Impassioned…enthusiastic…heated…"_

"_Yes, any of those. By then our subject, that's you James, had progressed from a simple kiss to more of a snog, which in all fairness should be rated separately."_

"_Of course," Remus agreed._

"_I agree," Lily added. "Who am I to go against convention?"_

_Hagrid looked from one friend to another, not sure exactly what to do or say, so he simply stayed quiet._

"_No…" James muttered._

"_So I noticed that his lip work was much improved from the simple kisses earlier. He varied pressure between his upper and lower lips, and his move to kiss along her jaw line was a stroke of genius. The ear licking, sucking thing I wasn't a fan of, so I docked him a half point. He escalated the leg rubbing which I thought was a plus, and placing his hand on her bum was easily worth a full point. Overall I give it an eight."_

"_I agree on most counts, but not entirely," Remus began his spiel. "Yes, the lip work was good. I too took half a point for the ear thing. Please James, grow out of it. You were spot on with the leg, but Sirius, you missed his left hand, the one not on her bum, twirling her hair, which she sighed for. So I added a point for that. The depth of kiss was good, enough to feel passion, but not overly done. So I'm just a half point over you again at eight and a half to nine."_

"_I…I think it all looked like a ten." Peter said quickly._

"_Yeah, we know, but as we noted before, your vote is skewed due to lack of personal history." James said._

"_Hey, that isn't fair I kissed Emily Broadbent when we were dating." Peter said defiantly._

"_That was fifth year, doesn't count." Sirius grinned._

"_Yes it does. I got more kisses than either of you combined fifth year, because all the girls hated that you made their hair green when that prank went wrong."_

"_He's got a point," Remus said in his quiet friend's defense._

"_Well, I'd agree his lip work was pretty good. "Lily stated. "Not too firm or soft, kissing along my jaw was nice. I gave him a full point for the ear thing, because it was unexpected, and he didn't slobber, it was a gentle tug, which I thought felt very affectionate. His leg rubbing felt off, I'm not a dog that needs to be humped. Hand on the bum was nice, but the hold could have been firmer, so I could feel it instead of it just feeling like dead weight. The hand in the hair we already know I like, so he got a full point for that. I'd give him a seven and a half."_

"_Seven and a half!" James shook his head. "I'm better than that?" He hung is head._

"_Evidently not Prongs," Sirius laughed._

"_I kinda think the 'ole lot of ya is barmy…" Hagrid muttered. _

_Lily's voice could be heard above the sniggering from the Marauders. "Awww, James don't pout. Think of it this way, we're going to have to do a lot of studying to get those marks up." She flashed him a sneaky smile._

"_Ugghhh," the three friends groaned at the couple._

"_I can't let myself love a bloke who's substandard in the kissing department," she teased._

"_Substandard!" he groused. But then his brow lifted and he gave her a very roguish smile. "You just said you loved me."_

_Lily turned beet red. "I..I di…I…I did not…" she stuttered._

"_Please," Sirius deadpanned. "Like we haven't all figured it out by now. You love him, he loves you. You'll get married and pop out a whole quidditch team, finding a way to look great in the process."_

"_Oh really? And what about the rest of you?" she challenged._

_Sirius continued. "Well if you must know, Remus here will end up marrying a witch half his age, but he won't know it because he'll be so old he won't be able to remember it. Peter will end up devoting his entire life to the first witch he actually gets some off of. I'll probably end up bedding hundreds of women, as it should be, and die at the ripe old age of forty, probably finding a way to kill myself on my motorbike."_

"_What about Hagrid?" she then asked._

"_Hagrid, simple. He becomes the most beloved professor at Hogwarts." _

_With that everyone in the memory laughed heartily, only letting up when Hagrid spoke. "The lot of ya need to be getting' back up ter the castle. It's on about time for yer dinner." He patted his hip, calling "Come here Fang, come 'ere. Lets get ba' to me hut and get some food."_

_The puppy raced to him. He picked up the small dog and walked away from the four Marauders and Lily. The memory morphed though a bank of pale white mist, settling again at the lakeside._

_Hagrid was now looking at Harry and Ginny kissing under the tree, as they had been in the original scene. He watched for a few moments and chuckled._

"_Good on ya Harry…And I'd give yer about a seven…" The last segment of Hagrid's memory melted away through the curling fog._

.

Ginny held Harry tightly, his whole body shaking in emotion. He clutched to her as if she gave life itself, burrowing his nose into the crook of her neck. She could feel the warm, wet tears sliding along her neck as he succumbed. She held him, letting him alternate between sniffs of love and chuckles of soft laughter.

When he raised his head, red, blotchy eyes met her understanding chocolate brown orbs. She kissed his forehead. "Okay Love?"

"I've never heard their voices before…In the nightmares all I ever heard was her screaming. In Snape's pensive it all sounded kind of fuzzy. When I heard them in the forest and in the graveyard, they sounded…I dunno, like they were far away…the voices kind of echoed…They weren't clear like this was." He paused and wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hands. "I…now I know how her laugh sounded…How my dad's laugh, and…" he put his head back on Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny cooed softly to him. "I know Harry, I'm so happy you got to hear their voices. And since we have the memory now, you can listen any time you want."

He lifted his head and nodded. "They were happy weren't they? All of them…"

"Oh yes, they were. And I can tell how much your parents loved each other, how they all loved each other." Ginny then chuckled. "Your Mum sure could handle the Marauders couldn't she?"

"Yeah, she did." Harry smiled fully. "She just gave all their bunk right back to them."

"I'm…I feel very fortunate to even have this little glimpse into their lives. " Ginny hugged Harry. "I can see where you get your humor, and spirit."

"So do I measure up in the snogging department?" he asked playfully.

"Well, Hagrid thought you deserved a seven...Back then you were about a four and a half, five tops." Ginny's eyes twinkled.

"Four and a half or five? No way, I was at least a seven, like Hagrid said."

"Not back then you weren't. You didn't get over seven until the summer after the war, at the Burrow." She said directly.

"And now? I think I'm way above a seven, don't forget I can do the leg thing."

"Leg thing doesn't count, that's for shagging, not snogging." She brushed his comment off with a back-handed wave.

"Doesn't count?"

"Nope, but you do hold my bum firmly, which I like."

"Like this?" He pulled her into his arms and cupped her rear with his right hand, through her soft flannel house pants. "And I do the hair thing too, right?" he twirled a thick lock of red hair in his fingers.

Ginny swallowed thickly. "Uhh huhh." she couldn't say much more because he was now kissing her fervently. He nipped her lips gently and then varied the pressure of his lips on hers. After a long sensuous kiss he slipped his tongue across her lips.

"See, now tha's worth a p-nt," he mumbled before she parted her lips, letting him deepen the kiss.

"Point," Ginny mumbled.

His right hand slipped up from her bum and under the baggy sweatshirt she wore, massaging her lower back. In response, she pressed her body to his more tightly.

"An-uuuzzer p-nt," Ginny sighed into the kisses.

Harry slowly worked his way down her jaw, kissing the length of it and then nuzzled and kissed the little spot behind her ear.

"Po-int," she gasped, clenching him even tighter, pressing herself against him. Ginny lowered her lips to his neck where she sucked on his pulse point enough to leave a small raised welt.

"Better than seven?" he asked in a low voice.

"Uhhh, 'bout a four…" she whispered.

"Four?" Harry said in question.

"Hmm-mmm, four…four…teen…" She murmured into the next round of kissing.

"That's better." Harry said proudly.

Ginny giggled, "But we should still practice."

"Yeah, we should…" he replied with a crooked grin.

After a few minutes of practice, the happy couple's attention focused on the pensieve and the last small glass bottle, yet to be opened.

Ginny tugged the stopper free and poured the last memory into the small stone bowl. "Ready?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure, I can't believe we're on the last one."

"We did kind of tear right through them didn't we?"

"Yes, and even with the ones we struggled with counted in, I've loved every second of it." Harry remarked honestly.

Ginny smiled at her husband, "Well, let's get on with it." And together, the couple dropped into the last memory, number one.

.

**Bottle One**

_Harry and Ginny tumbled down, letting the fog surround them. After a short time the duo landed gracefully, yet the mist had yet to subside, so they could not see the scene being offered. _

_Molly Weasley's soft voice spoke. "Ginevra, Harry, I am beyond happy. I am so proud of the young woman and man that stood up today to be married. I do not know the words to describe just how much I love each of you."_

_The white fluffy clouds washed around and very subtly began to shift from shapeless vapors to finite shapes. Molly's warm voice continued. "Ginny dear, My greatest joy, up until today was the day the healers presented me with a pink blanket and slipped my beautiful baby girl into my arms for the first time. Today was better, because I could see the pure joy in your eyes. I know the first time you met Harry was on the platform, but it seems like you've known him forever, long before you met. So for you, my precious daughter, I give you my earliest memory of you caring about Harry."_

_Her memory solidified around them, the Burrow's kitchen. Molly stood at the sink, using a drying charm on the last of the morning's freshly cleaned dishes and flatware. A young Ginny, maybe five or six years old stood next to her mother on a large stepstool, drying bowls by hand._

.

"Do you recognize it?" Harry questioned Ginny.

"From just this? No, do you have any idea how many times Mum and I washed dishes together?" Ginny replied.

"Err, right…sorry." He smiled sheepishly.

.

"_Now then, Ron is going to be at Aunt Muriel's till after lunch, so we have the morning to ourselves as just girl time." Molly said happily._

"_Mum, can I ask a question?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Well…It's about Harry Potter."_

_"Ginny, I've read that story to you every night for the last two weeks. What more could you possibly need to know?" Her mother said looking down at her daughter._

"_Ummm, well, it's about the ending."_

"_Are you worried about You-Know-Who coming back?" Molly cast a reassuring expression to her daughter._

"_No, cause Harry made him go away." Little Ginny swallowed nervously. "What I wanted to know was, what happened?"_

"_Well dear, nobody really knows. All we know is that he lived through the killing curse."_

"_No Mum, I mean what happened to Harry…" She sniffed. "Cause his Mummy and Daddy both died." She stopped and cried for a second or two before regaining her composure. "Who…who takes care of him now? Where'd he go?"_

_Molly dried her hands and picked up her small girl to give her a big hug. "Oh, Ginny. You are such a sweet little girl."_

"_Mum, I'm not little. I'm six." Ginny pouted. "And you didn't answer the question."_

"_Okay dear, you're not little." Molly sighed. "As for Harry…He went to live with some muggle relatives."_

"_Can we go visit him? If he's all alone does he have friends?" Ginny twirled a lock of red hair in her fingers nervously. "He doesn't have brothers or sisters, so I'm scared that he's all alone."_

"_Ginny, I'm sure he's being taken care of just fine. I don't think you need to worry about it." Molly patted Ginny's back to comfort her._

_Ginny squirmed to get down, clearly not happy with her mother. She then stood to face her mother and put both hands on her hips. "Mum," she said directly. "How do we know? I want to know, who's taking care of Harry?"_

"_Ginny, I told you. His relatives are taking care of him." Molly reiterated sternly._

"_Well, I…" Her defiance washed away. "I just wanna know he's not lonely."_

"_I know dear," Molly responded softly._

"_Mum, do ya' think I could write him?" Ginny gazed up at her Mum hopefully._

"_Well, I don't exactly know…but I don't see why not. Get your things and write to him if you want to." The words barely left her mouth when Ginny ran to the sideboard and grabbed a quill and parchment from her home school supplies._

_She sat quickly, opened her ink carefully and then began to write._

.

Live Harry watched as the younger Ginny bit her lower lip. "You still do that."

"Do what?" Ginny questioned.

"Bite your lip when you're thinking hard. And it's adorable." Harry smiled.

"Adorable?"

"Yes, like it or not you have a couple of very endearing little mannerisms. One of which is the lip thing, another is twirling that lock of hair that falls loose all the time." Harry ran his fingers up her cheek and tucked the same loose strands of hair behind her ear again.

Ginny smiled. "You know I do remember this a little now."

.

_Little Ginny in the memory finished her letter and brought it to her mother to check over. "Is this okay?"_

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_My name is Ginny Weasley. Mum reads me your story all the time. I like it a lot. I am happy you won. I am sorry about your Mum and Dad. I wanted to know if you had a friend or not? I want to be your friend if you want me to be. I am six and you are seven, so I think we could play together good. So if you need a friend please write back._

_Your new friend,_

_Ginny Weasley_

"_I think that's a wonderful letter Ginny. Fold it up and I'll give it to Errol to deliver." Molly instructed._

"_Errol?" Ginny questioned? "Are you sure Mum? He's a little off isn't he? And he can't deliver to muggles." She folded her note and put it in an envelope, addressing it as 'To Harry Potter'._

"_Errol is fine, and you're correct. He can't deliver to a muggle house. But he can go to the person who can mail it the muggle way to Harry."_

_Molly took Ginny's envelope and deposited it in a larger envelope, addressing it to Albus Dumbledore and enclosing her own short note. She then tied the letter to Errol's talon and the bird flew haphazardly from the kitchen, bouncing off the window frame as he left._

_Ginny watched as the owl disappeared over the horizon. "Mum, do you think Harry Potter will go to Hogwarts? And if he does and we meet, do you think we might get to be friends?"_

"_Anything is possible Ginny." Molly smiled down at her daughter. "And he'd be lucky to have a friend like you."_

"_And if he does and we do, then maybe we'll be in love and I'll marry him." Ginny's sparkling brown eyes blinked up to see her mother's reaction._

"_Well…" Molly grinned. "I think you may be planning this all out a little early."_

"_But maybe, right? D'ya think someone like Harry Potter would love a person like me?"_

"_Ginny, whoever you marry will be a lucky man indeed." Her mother promised. The kitchen of the Burrow began to fade away, melting into the clouds of fog rolling around the couple._

.

"Yes," Harry answered emphatically. "Yes, I could love a girl like you." Ginny faced him, blushing furiously from the tips of her ears, to her neck and even across her exposed shoulder. He pulled her into a hug to reassure her.

"I think that was the first time I ever brought up the whole me-marrying-Harry-Potter thing." Ginny offered quietly, wrapping her arms around Harry's waist.

"I see." Harry tightened the hug a bit more.

"It was just mine and Mum's secret for about a year, then one day Fred overheard us in the kitchen, and he told George…who told everyone…and…"

"From then on none of those gits would leave it be?" Harry said with an angry edge to his voice.

"Uh-huh," Ginny murmured into his chest.

Harry traced her jaw line with his fingers and lifted her face to his. "Well you were right. We did become friends, and I did fall in love with you, and we got married. It's kind of the ultimate 'I-told-you-so' isn't it?"

"Love you." Ginny kissed him.

"You were so cute back then." Harry chuckled.

"Just then Harry? Am I not cute now?" She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to come up with a suitable answer.

"Well back then you were child-cute, now you're sexy-cute," he replied with a shrug, not having to think about his answer at all.

"Sexy-cute?" Ginny asked, curiously.

"Oh yeah," he said. When he realized she was waiting for more of an explanation he continued. "What are you wearing now?"

"Sweatshirt, house pants, slippers…" Ginny replied nonchalantly, looking over her very casual outfit.

"Exactly. One of my old Cannons sweatshirts that's much too big on you, so it falls off your shoulder all the time. Which exposes the string to the tank top you have on underneath, which in my mind says you aren't wearing a bra. And you're wearing your ducky pants." he pointed to her grey flannel house pants with little yellow rubber duckies printed all over.

"My ducky pants are sexy?" she winced.

"No they're the cute part. The whole bare shoulder, no bra, tank top look is the sexy part." Harry said. Her top had once again slipped off to expose a freckled shoulder and he tipped the thin strap with his fingers, willing her to understand. "And even the ducky pants, are a size too big on you, so you roll down the waistband, and they kind of hang low on your hips…"

"So?" Ginny answered. She lifted the sweatshirt a little, exposing her taut stomach. The waistband was indeed rolled up, and as Harry had pointed out, the pants hung a little low on her slim hips. "What?" she said.

"Well, when they hang down like that, I can see a bit of your knickers." He used his fingers to deftly trace the bit of exposed satin on each hip. "So a little sexy there too."

"I had no idea you paid so much attention to my ducky pants." Ginny smirked.

"You've no idea…" Harry mumbled to himself.

.

_The misty white vapors holding the next memory continued to swirl about the pair until both focused on the memory. Molly's voice flooded the memory. "Harry dear, my seventh son. I know I'm not your birth mother, but I did my best to give you the love you needed and deserved. From the very first time you set foot in the Burrow I promised myself that I'd be the one to look out for you. I had no idea then how many nights I'd lay awake thrilled, scared, excited or worried to death for you. You have given me more grey hair than all my other children combined, and I wear those grey hairs proudly, because I will always love you."_

_The mist evaporated leaving Harry and Ginny in the most familiar setting of all, the back yard of the Burrow. The twins, Ron and Harry shuffled ahead, looking thoroughly defeated. Molly marched along behind them muttering under her breath. "The blasted car…flying…could have been seen…poor muggles…"_

"_But Mum," Fred wailed. "We had to do it…"_

"_No, you certainly did not!" she responded shortly._

_"Yeah we did…Mum they had locks on his door, and had all his school stuff locked away…"_

_"You stole the car George! In-ex-cus-a-ble. If the ministry finds out…I shudder to think of the reprimand your father might get!" She stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips and faced the three redheaded boys in the memory. "Now the three of you will degnome the garden, and so help me…if I find even one gnome after you're done…"_

_"Muuuuum, it was for Harry's own…" Ron tried to explain._

_"I don't want to hear it! Now, get to work." she commanded. _

_Fred couldn't help with one last try to get out of doing chores. "Mum, they hadn't even let him out to use the loo!"_

_Molly spun in shock at her son's statement. She re-schooled her features and her face once again showed her extreme displeasure. "W…well…" she stammered. "The punishment is for taking the car, not for getting Harry. And Harry dear," her voice softened. "I don't expect you to help, come back inside."_

"_Ummm, if it's okay, I'll just stay out here. I've never seen a degnoming of a garden before." Harry said._

"_Suit yourself…Harry, was what the boys said true?" Molly asked kindly._

"_Yes Ma'am," Harry replied cautiously._

_Molly's face flushed in anger, but she kept her smile in place. "Well then, go on and help the boys." She turned and her face slid from the forced smile to furious scowl._

_Molly stormed back into the Burrow. "Arthur!" she bellowed, entering the ramshackle old house._

_Mr. Weasley hurried from the study. "Molly?"_

"_Did you see him Arthur?" Molly fumed. "Skin and bones…and those rags he was dressed in!" Molly stomped across the room to grab her shawl. "Unforgivable. Allowing a child to live like that?"_

"_Now Molly, settle down please. He's fine, maybe a little…"_

_Molly spun to face her husband. ".. His clothing doesn't fit, and he's probably fifteen pounds too thin. He deserves better, and I'm going to make sure that happens right now."_

"_Dear…Mollywobbles," Arthur carefully approached his furious wife, breaking one of his three rules to live by._

"_Don't Mollywobbles me. Albus has some explaining to do. I want answers and I'm going to get them. I don't care if he's the greatest wizard on earth. That boy deserves more and I intend to see to it that he gets it!" She punctuated her rant with a jab of her wand. A small spray of yellow sparks flew from the tip._

"_So you're…"_

"_I'm going to Hogwarts." With that last statement she strode to the fireplace. She shoved her hand into the pot of floo powder, grabbing a handful about twice the size needed and threw the bunch of it into the fire. The flames roared green and rose till they nearly escaped the firebox. Molly yelled "Dumbledore's Office!" and was gone in a flash of green fire._

_In the background Arthur's voice could be heard, "Merlin help you Albus, you'll need it."_

_The memory morphed from solid to a furiously spiraling mist with green and yellow tinted flames throughout. Live Harry and Ginny clutched each other as the swirling spun them faster and faster, until neither could tell up from down or right from left. And then, in an instant, the memory reappeared, and solidified throwing the couple from the fireplace._

.

Live Ginny stepped into the room, but Harry couldn't right himself in time and he fell to the floor, sliding out of the fireplace in Dumbledore's office.

"Most powerful wizard in the world and he can't even floo decently, tsk, tsk," Ginny said with feigned pity.

"Stuff it," Harry grumbled good-naturedly.

.

_The next scene bean to play out in the massive, yet cluttered, office of Albus Dumbledore. Molly's voice could be heard easily. "Albus! Albus Dumbledore! I need to have a word with you!"_

_"Molly?" Professor Dumbledore walked briskly into the main office from his library off to the side. "To what do I owe…"_

_"Put a sock in it Albus. Do you know what I saw today!" She answered her own question before he was able to venture a guess. "I saw a boy, all skin and bones, dressed in rags…Scared to death of being hit as punishment!"_

_"Well, that is disturbing Molly, but it's not generally an affair of the headmaster to intervene in something outside the school. You are not, I hope, suggesting that I intervene in an attempt to right the wrongs of others?"_

"_Of course not! Because then YOU would be in the position of having to hex YOURSELF!" Molly was past angry now; each time she made a hand gesture sparks of various colors spewed righteously from the tip of her wand. Albus stood erect and sidled over behind his desk looking for a safe way to put space between himself and the livid redheaded woman before him._

"_Molly, you know I have no children," he protested calmly, but his normally sure voice quivered just a touch._

"_That's right! You don't. But I do and I know mistreatment when I see it…And if you don't find a way to fix this I'll have your head on…" Molly stepped around to the side of the desk._

"_Please Molly. I find myself at a disadvantage, not knowing exactly what we are talking __about."__ He very slyly slipped his wand from his sleeve in case he needed it for defense, which he was beginning to think might be the case very soon. Noticing her change in position he, stepped back a few paces and stood behind his chair, making sure the bulky piece of furniture lay directly between him and his antagonist._

"_You don't even know! How dare you!" Molly pointed her wand, and without uttering a word, a blast of yellow sparks shot forward, singing the parchments lying on the massive, wooden, headmaster's desk._

_Dumbledore sighed. "Molly, please be more careful, I was just finishing up those recommendations and…"_

"_Recommendations! I'll give you a recommendation. I want the boy to live with us! I know we don't have much money, and the Burrow is crowded, but we have love. We have love in abundance! You should have heard Fred and George's story when they got home this morning…" She advanced another step towards the confused and worried headmaster._

"_You want the boy to live with you…I understand…What is the boy's name?" He asked, taking two steps from behind the chair, and moving to a spot sheltered on one side by a massive bookcase filled with thick tomes._

"_His name! Harry of course. Harry Potter!"_

"_Oh," Dumbledore's face finally registered his understanding. "I see, well I don't think we can do that…"_

"_Albus Dumbledore…" Molly glowered._

"_Please can we discuss this rationally? I seldom do my best work when backed up against a bookcase." he offered calmly. For the first time in several minutes his voice sounded sure._

"_I'm not so sure I can be rational Albus." Molly sighed_

"_I'm sorry Molly, but he has to remain with his relatives during the summer months."_

_His calm statement did not have the intended effect. Instead of calming the red haired witch, the words incensed Molly and her fury __once__ again raged. "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" _

_"Molly, as a friend I need to point out that…"_

_"Let me point something out!" She poked her wand towards the headmaster. Her magic, barely contained, slipped and a flash of white light shot out, singeing the corner of Fawkes' perch. Fawkes rapidly vacated the area, flying up and settling on a tall bookshelf across the room, well away from the arguing couple. "That boy is not to go back to those awful muggles! They're the worst sort."_

_"But he must, the wards are based on old magic and blood protection."_

"_They may be blood, but they don't treat him like family!" She countered vehemently._

"_I know they do not treat Harry as they treat their own son, but…"_

"_NO BUTS!" They don't feed the boy, they work him like a dog. Fred and George said when they got to him, the first thing he did was rush to the loo…Albus, please…They weren't even letting the boy relieve himself." Molly's face fell and her voice softened._

"_True it is not the best situation, but I cannot change his residence. The only way to keep him protected is by having him return to Privet Drive every summer to recharge the wards and blood protections." Dumbledore explained, pleading with her to understand why Harry could not simply move to the Burrow._

_"What good is it to be alive, and protected from evil, if the life you have isn't happy?" Molly questioned sternly._

_"Molly it can't be that bad. If you'll let…"_

_"Not that bad! When was the last time you visited that…that…PLACE! I can't even call it a home." There were bars on his windows. The boys had to break him out with that damn car of Arthurs!"_

_"It flew?" Dumbledore queried._

"_ALBUS! Forget the bloody car. They were feeding him through a cat-flap! A cat-flap for Merlin's sake." She stalked around the far end of the desk. Dumbledore quickly crossed in front of the desk keeping the giant expanse of mahogany as a buffer zone between himself and Molly Weasley. She pointed her wand at him again. ".Sat-is-fac-tion. That boy will stay with us, where he's wanted."_

"_But the protections…They have to stand, or else Voldemort can get to him," the headmaster implored._

"Albus," Molly's voice had changed from angry to smooth and sure. "You are a smart man, fix this."

"_My hands are tied…" He began to say, but Molly's stare cut him right to the bone. Dumbledore held up his hands. "Well…it might work…Molly please…What if he stays at Privet Drive every summer until his birthday. Then, he can visit with your family at the Burrow. That gives you half the summer. And I think I can adjust the wards enough to recharge in that amount of time."_

_Molly's voice finally held no more anger when she spoke. "Is that really all we can do Albus. He's just a boy…he needs love."_

_The professor sighed. "I believe it is. But as an added insurance I may send over Mad-Eye, Lupin and some other Order members to help the Dursleys understand that they should take better care of Harry."_

"_Very well then. I…I apologize for my behavior. It wasn't very ladylike." Molly said gently._

"_I understand Molly. Now why don't you floo home and take care of that brood of yours?" He stepped from behind the desk and for the first time since Molly arrived stepped towards her, ushering her to the floo._

_Molly nodded. "Yes, it is about lunch time. I'll need to whip something up." Albus offered her the pot of floo powder and she tossed in a pinch, calling out "The Burrow."_

_The floo activated and the memory again swirled unceremoniously, pitching Harry and Ginny, ensconced in the memory, to and fro. One last comment could be heard from the memory as the green flames softened to white mist_

_Albus spoke reverently, "You are a brave man Arthur Weasley."_

.

"Wheewww," Harry gave a low whistle. "Your Mum took on Dumbledore," he said with reverence.

Ginny smiled and whispered. "No, _your_ Mum took on Dumbledore. I think from the moment she heard the twins' story she adopted you."

"So she took on Dumbledore and Bellatrix…is there anything she's afraid of?" Harry marveled.

"Just something happening to one of her kids…it wasn't till Bellatrix went after me that she pulled her wand in the war. Up until then she spent her time healing others."

"Too true." Harry agreed.

.

_Molly's calm words flowed through the mist. "So you see Harry, from the very first day, I thought of you as a son. And I know this isn't the sweet, romantic memory you may have been expecting, but it was the best memory that illustrated what I wanted to share. You have been, and always will be, my seventh son. A son I will stand up for and fight for. A son that has time and again proven he has more character, bravery and love than any mother could ever dare to wish for. _

_I am probably breaking tradition, but being the sentimental witch that I am, I couldn't let this moment go by without one last memory of the two of you as a couple. As her words came to an end, the wisps of white vapor swirled slowly, and then calmed, leaving Harry and Ginny in the kitchen of the Burrow. Arthur stood at the window, looking serenely out over the side yard and the gravel road running past the Weasley's property._

_Molly flooed into the room gracefully and set her packages down on the counter near the sink. "Hello dear."_

"_Good trip to the market then?" Mr. Weasley asked, not moving his gaze from the window._

"_Yes, Diagon Alley is beginning to come back to normal. Fortescue's is still closed but the apothecary is open again and the crowds were a little larger than the other day. The joke shop was full, as always. George is doing a little better. Having Lee there is helping I think." She noticed her husband's absent-minded behavior and questioned him. "What is so interesting outside that you don't greet me properly?"_

"_Come see for yourself." He stepped to the side so his wife could peer out the window too. He gave her a swift kiss on the cheek when she reached him. The memory then shifted perspective and was now showing the yard, gravel lane, and the giant willow tree in the distance. Under the tree, in the shade of the flowing branches Harry and Ginny sat on a bench, talking._

"_They're talking?" Molly questioned in relief._

_Arthur nodded. "Yes, finally."_

"_But how…" She faced her husband of many years. "You told them a story didn't you?" _

"_I had to help…This morning at breakfast they sat at the table, and I could tell both of them wanted to talk to the other. But neither of them knew how to start it off. I asked Harry to help me in the work shed, and we talked." he spoke evenly, shifting to look back out at the young couple under the tree._

_Harry and Ginny sat cross-legged, facing each other. In her hands, Ginny held a small brown leather book, she was reading, moving her lips a little as she did so. Harry was listening intently to whatever it was she was saying, hands in his lap._

_Arthur picked his tale back up. "I got him to talk…to me at least, and I told him about crashing Sirius' motorcycle…"_

_"You use that story for lots of lessons don't you?" Molly interrupted._

_"I do, because it taught me so many different lessons." he replied. "Today it was about how the tree healed, even though it was never fixed…"_

_"How time heals all wounds?" Molly answered, now looking out the window again as well._

"_Yes, that's the point I was going for, that if they just let each other have some time they'd be fine." He chuckled. "Harry took it a bit differently…He rushed from the shop, tearing into the house screaming for Ginny…about five minutes later the two of them come out here, with her diary…I didn't know she had one…"_

"_Nor did I," Molly agreed._

"_They walked down there." He motioned to the willow tree. "She conjured a bench and they've been reading from her diary ever since." Under the tree, Harry was now rubbing Ginny's knee through her jeans to comfort her. From the way their heads bowed it was obvious both were crying._

"_So instead of waiting for time to heal their relationship, they went back in time, so to speak, in order to relive it?" she said in puzzlement._

"_With each other." Arthur smiled. "Well, Harry doesn't do things the conventional way does he? But for them, it appears to be working. To rid themselves of the separation, they're going back over it all together. Quite a brilliant idea really."_

"_And this happened after breakfast?"_

"_A little after, because Harry came out to the shed with me, but it's been at least half nine since they began talking." Mr. Weasley watched as Ginny palmed Harry's jaw and brushed her thumb across his face, wiping a tear from Harry's cheek. _

"_Oh my…" Mrs. Weasley commented in surprise. "That's over four hours ago…"_

"_I know dear." He answered, "I hope she'll open up to him…She never did with us. I still don't know exactly what was going on up at that school, how she got those scars…I doubt Harry will ever tell us about his either."_

_"I don't think she'll ever tell me…But maybe if she can tell Harry…Do you think she really loves him?"_

_"I think we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise. When Hagrid brought his body up to the castle…" Arthur's voice faded out._

_"Hers wasn't a scream of fright. It was the scream of a woman who'd lost her love." Molly finished her husband's thoughts._

_Out under the tree, Harry leaned forward and rested his forehead to Ginny's, wrapping an arm around her as her body trembled. In reaction, Ginny shifted closer, letting Harry wrap her even tighter in the hug of compassion. In her hands, the diary lay forgotten while the two teens comforted each other._

_"Well, I don't suppose we should be eavesdropping should we?" Molly said, sniffing away a tear and taking a step back from the window. "Oh Arthur, they're going to be okay. They'll be together…"_

"_Careful Molly. We don't know, can't assume they'll be able to work all this out." Arthur cautioned._

"_But even if not, the two of them will be okay. They have a chance to be together, a chance to fall in love." Molly sniffed again, watching the young couple under the tree. Harry in the memory shifted so he was leaning on the backrest of the bench. Ginny dropped her diary on the bench and crawled into Harry's lap. She wrapped both arms around his neck, clinging to him. Harry in turn enveloped the thin girl protectively as if defending her from the world._

_The willow tree, bench and fields soon fell away into a swirling white fog signaling the end of the last memory. To cap it off Molly's voice returned. "Harry, Ginny, I'm sorry we eavesdropped, but we simply couldn't deny ourselves watching the two of you begin to heal each other. It was the first time after the war that I felt as though everything would be alright. The first time I had real hope that you and Ginny would have a chance to fall in love. A chance you took hold of with all your might, and fought for. A chance that culminated in marriage between two of my children. I love you both so very, very much."_

.

Harry's soft voice followed the last strains of Molly's voice. "I love you too Mum, more than I can say."

Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and pulled herself into his strong arms. Instinctively he let his hands fall to her waist, and hugged her back. "She's the best Mum in the world," Ginny proclaimed, whispering in Harry's ear.

He nodded his agreement. "So we've seen them all, all thirty-one of them."

Ginny released the hug, but still stood close by her husband. He began to lift the last memory from the pensieve and deftly used his wand to slide the silvery thread back into its small glass vial for safe-keeping.

"Yeah, we did." She paused. "Not all of them were things we were expecting. I'm surprised at some of them, like Mum's, Ron's, Mrs. Figg."

"I didn't expect Parvati's, Gwenog's really got to me, Neville's, and Hagrid's with my Mum and Dad."

I wasn't expecting the memories to be so vivid, either," Ginny added.

"Yeah, I kept reacting to the scenes as though they were happening live. I also feel blessed to be able to have shared them with you Gin. Just in the short few days we've spent viewing them, I…we're closer emotionally now than…"

"We've ever been?" Ginny finished his sentence for him.

He smiled at her. "Yeah, I was gonna say that."

"It's half two now, so it's half seven at home, right?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, we're five hours different."

"Harry, why don't we get all packed, have some dinner, and enjoy one last stroll along the beach before we apparate home?"

"Perfect idea Gin." Harry replied, looking over the calm waters of Little Sound visible through the large windows.

The couple packed up and made sure to wrap all the trinkets, shells and gifts for the trip home. Both changed from their casual house clothes to those appropriate for going out in public.

Ginny packed away her ducky pants in favor of a pair of muggle jeans, noticing that Harry watched the entire time she was removing her ducky pants. The sweatshirt stayed, but she did put on a bra before pulling on a t-shirt and then Harry's oversize sweatshirt. Harry dressed similarly, in jeans, a t-shirt and a training jacket.

Dinner, at a small oceanside restaurant, flew by in a breeze of good food, quick witted banter and loving conversation. After paying the bill Harry led Ginny to the beach for the short walk back to the beach house. He clasped her hand in his, once again marveling at just how perfectly her hand fit in his.

Ginny squeezed his hand when she saw him looking down. "They do fit together rather nicely don't they?"

Harry bobbed his head, but didn't say anything. He simply looked out over the water to the sunset forming on the far horizon. The clouds, ablaze in vibrant hues of oranges, yellows and purples, hovered low. The sun, shining through from behind lit the remaining sky with soft yellow light, fading to a deep blue further up in the sky.

Harry switched his gaze from the horizon, to his left. The last rays of light brought out all the subtle colors within Ginny's hair. Colors even more pronounced than normal due to the extra sunshine and exposure to salt water during their swimming and diving. Streaks of lighter red, deep gold and auburn highlighted her silky hair and Harry couldn't help but touch it. He stopped walking and she turned into his embrace. He kissed her forehead and gave in to the impulse to stroke her hair with his fingers.

Ginny gave a contented sigh, letting her husband hold her and run his fingers through her thick mane of hair. "Love you Harry Potter."

He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finished with a slow gentle kiss on her lips. "Love you Ginevra Potter."

"Forever," the couple said in unison.

A/N- So there it is, we've finished all thirty-one bottles. But more importantly I managed to finish a second story, proving that I can do it. I've been pleasantly surprised by the number of reviews for the story. I didn't think it would get this much response, but I'm flattered that it did. As always I want to thank everyone who read the story, marked it as a favorite or reviewed it. I appreciate you taking time from your lives to read.

Have a great day,

seeker68


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